The effect of age stereotype threat on knowledge hiding behavior of older employees

Abstract

With the introduction of delayed retirement policies, older employees have gradually become the backbone of enterprises that cannot be ignored. However, in the practice of organizational management, age stereotype threat poses great challenges to older employees. A large number of studies have shown that the knowledge of older employees can exert great value to organizations, and in the era of knowledge economy, it is of great significance to develop and utilize the knowledge of older employees reasonably to create greater value for organizations. Based on resource conservation theory and SOC theory, this study will mainly explore the influence paths among age stereotype threat, job insecurity and knowledge hiding, and then explore how to rationally exploit and utilize the knowledge value of older employees from the organizational level.

Through the empirical analysis of 304 questionnaire data, the following conclusions are drawn: (1) age stereotype threat positively affects knowledge hiding; (2) Job insecurity mediates the relationship between age stereotype threat and knowledge hiding; (3) SOC job strategy plays a moderating role in the relationship between age stereotype threat and job insecurity. This study reveals the influence of age stereotype threat on knowledge hiding, and provides some practical enlightenment for organizations to do a good job in knowledge management of older employees.