We aim to investigate whether, how, and when frontline service employees (FSEs), as observers of leaders’ knowledge hiding behavior toward customers (LKH-C), engage in employee knowledge hiding behavior toward customers (EKH-C). We introduce employees’ devaluation of customers (EDC) as an indicator of the social learning of LKH-C. To understand the trickle effects of knowledge hiding toward customers from supervisors to FSEs, we introduce leader–member exchange (LMX) as a first-stage moderator that can intensify the influence of negative role modeling and moral identity (MI) as a second-stage moderator that can “break the cycle” of top-down knowledge hiding. We collected time-lagged data (i.e., responses from FSEs at three different time points) from three- to five-star-ranked hotels in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia (N = 379). We found that LKH-C stimulates EKH-C through EDC. We also noted that the indirect effect of LKH-C on EKH-C via EDC could be intensified at high LMX and that FSEs with high-MI could break the cycle of top-down knowledge hiding behavior. From the perspective of social learning theory (i.e., cognitive processes), we aim to understand whether, how, and when FSEs observing LKH-C engages in EKH-C at high vs. low values of LMX and MI. Our findings have important implications for managers, practitioners, and organizations with regard to “breaking the cycle” of knowledge hiding in the hospitality industry and maximizing overall customer experience.

中文翻译：

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酒店组织中的客户贬值：基于客户目标的知识隐藏行为的社会学习视角


我们的目标是调查一线服务员工 （FSE） 作为领导者对客户隐藏知识行为的观察者 （LKH-C），是否、如何以及何时参与员工对客户的知识隐藏行为 （EKH-C）。我们引入员工对客户的贬值 （EDC） 作为 LKH-C 社会学习的指标。为了了解从主管到 FSE 对客户隐藏知识的涓滴效应，我们引入了领导者-成员交流 （LMX） 作为第一阶段的调节因素，它可以加强负面角色塑造和道德认同 （MI） 的影响，作为第二阶段的调节因素，可以“打破”自上而下的知识隐藏的循环。我们收集了沙特阿拉伯东部省份 （N = 379） 的三星级至五星级酒店的滞时数据（即 FSE 在三个不同时间点的响应）。我们发现 LKH-C 通过 EDC 刺激 EKH-C。我们还注意到，LKH-C 通过 EDC 对 EKH-C 的间接影响在高 LMX 下可能会加强，并且具有高 MI 的 FSE 可以打破自上而下的知识隐藏行为的循环。从社会学习理论（即认知过程）的角度来看，我们旨在了解观察 LKH-C 的 FSE 是否、如何以及何时在 LMX 和 MI 的高值与低值下参与 EKH-C。我们的研究结果对管理者、从业者和组织在“打破酒店业隐藏知识的循环”和最大限度地提高整体客户体验方面具有重要意义。