The dark triad and knowledge hiding

By drawing on psychological contract theory, this study examined the effects of the dark triad of personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) on knowledge hiding within organizations. We obtained 251 matched-pair data from respondents in a manufacturing company. Results showed that all three dimensions of the dark triad were positively related to knowledge hiding through transactional psychological contract. Different dimensions of the dark triad were most strongly related to different knowledge hiding strategies. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationships between narcissism and psychopathy with transactional psychological contract. The indirect relationships between narcissism and psychopathy with knowledge hiding via transactional psychological contract were stronger for men than women.