Disrupted teams, hidden knowledge: a multilevel study of temporal leadership and time control under workplace interruptions

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how workplace interruptions shape collective knowledge-hiding behavior in team contexts, emphasizing the mediating role of perceived time control and the moderating effect of team temporal leadership. The authors challenge the assumption that time-oriented leadership always mitigates disruption, proposing instead that it can exacerbate cognitive withdrawal in high-pressure team environments. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a three-wave, time-lagged survey design involving 356 employees nested within 82 organizational teams across the Asia-Pacific region. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, the authors tested a cross-level moderated mediation model grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Findings – Workplace interruptions reduced individuals’ perceived control of time, which in turn increased knowledge hiding within teams. Team temporal leadership, typically seen as a coordination asset, amplified this effect when experienced as rigid or excessively time-bound. The indirect relationship between interruptions and knowledge hiding was strongest in teams with high temporal leadership, revealing a paradox of managerial control. Originality/value – This study reframes knowledge hiding as an emergent outcome of team-level time pressure and leadership dynamics, rather than a purely individual choice. It extends COR theory to team settings and surfaces a dark side of temporal leadership under disruption. By integrating team structure, leadership and time cognition, this study contributes to research on team resilience and knowledge coordination.