Breaking the silence in academia: how workplace friendship and AI technologies shape the pathway from psychological distress to knowledge hiding

Purpose Academic institutions are increasingly challenged in relation to the dynamics in the workplace where leadership behaviour and organisational culture would have a significant impact on the psychological well-being and knowledge-sharing practises of employees. This study aims to explore how exploitative leadership (EL) and workplace bullying (WB) contribute to knowledge hiding (KH) among faculty members in Iraqi higher education institutions, with psychological distress (PD) as a mediating mechanism. Additionally, it investigates the moderating roles of workplace friendship (WF) and artificial intelligence (AI) in mitigating the effects of distress on knowledge withholding. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the conservation of resources theory and the cognitive activation theory of stress, the study adopts a multi-theoretical lens to examine toxic leadership, emotional strain and knowledge management behaviours. Using a time-lagged survey design, data were collected from 866 full-time faculty members across 169 Iraqi public and private universities. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to validate the hypothesised relationships. Findings Results confirm that both EL and WB significantly increase PD, which in turn leads to heightened KH. PD partially mediates these relationships. Crucially, WF and AI usage serve as negative moderators, weakening the distress–KH linkage. The model explains 30.1% of the variance in PD and 37.6% in KH, indicating substantial explanatory power. Originality/value This study contributes novel insights by integrating toxic leadership, psychological health and AI-enabled resilience within the higher education context of a post-conflict nation. It is the first empirical investigation to examine how technological and relational resources jointly buffer the harmful effects of workplace stressors on knowledge behaviours in academia. The findings offer actionable pathways for fostering more supportive, transparent and digitally enabled academic cultures, particularly in emerging economies.