HR informality impacts knowledge hiding via cynicism and sabotage intentions

Most organizations advocate for formal HR practices but rarely implement them, leading to negative outcomes. We draw on the social exchange theory to explore how HR informality influences knowledge hiding behaviour through the serial mediation of organizational cynicism and sabotage intentions, while also considering hotel size (large vs. SMEs) as a moderating factor. Data were obtained from Jordanian employees in the tourism industry (n = 373) and analysed using the PLS-SEM technique. We found that HR informality increases organizational cynicism, which in turn intensifies employees’ intention to sabotage. This sabotage intention significantly drives knowledge hiding behaviour. Furthermore, the effect of HR informality on organizational cynicism is consistent across hotel sizes, whether large or SMEs. Implications for research and practice are discussed.