Exploring Gender Stereotypes and Perceptions of Knowledge Hiding

the influence of social role theory on female employees within one university

Abstract

Knowledge hiding is a major reason for less productivity and creativity especially in organisational settings. However, the complexity of knowledge is particularly high in the higher education sector. The gender dynamics that exist as part of the structural inequalities can contribute to understanding female hiding or sharing their knowledge. Focusing on social role theory, this research explores the overlap of gender stereotypes and knowledge hiding, focusing on female employees within the culture of higher education. A qualitative method was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven female employees in Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in different job roles. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, revealing that gender can have significant impact on either hiding or sharing knowledge. The research deduced that societal expectations of women, where women are perceived to be more helpful, caring, and supportive, impact how women view the concept of knowledge hiding, i.e. to hide knowledge goes against societies expectations of women being helpful. Organisational factors, such as high competition and male-dominated leadership, further impact the gendered reality which encourages knowledge hiding for individual success. This study explored the impact of gender on knowledge hiding attitudes and behaviours and provides insights into the wider implications for workplace cultures that might propagate knowledge hiding.