• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.103-130
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• 2016

Many organizations have paid less attention to knowledge withholding intention (KWI) rather than knowledge sharing. KWI is the likelihood that employees will give less than their full effort to contributing knowledge. KWI can be affected by employee's knowledge psychological ownership (KPO), cultural level (Individualism/collectivism: I/C), and altruism for organizational benefits. Also I/C is an important motivational factor that affects KPO and KWI closely. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between employee's KPO and KWI in the perspective of employee's motivational factors (I/C, altruism for organizational benefits). The results of analysis show that employee's KPO and collectivism are driving forces leading to KWI and that individualism is the significant influential factor of employee's KPO. For theoretical and practical contributions, the research presents the grounds for arguments that KPO and I/C are employee's psychological motivation for individual KWI and organizations trying to pay attention to employee's KPO and individualism need to decrease employee's KWI under individual, leader, and organizational dimensions. Limitations arisen in the course of the research and suggestions for future research directions are also discussed.