The Effect of Paradoxical Tensions Between Confucian Culture and Organizational Culture on Fear and Knowledge Sharing Intention

Individuals often encounter challenges balancing collaboration and competition in organizational life. Although paradoxes exist in all organizations, there is minimal empirical research investigating paradoxical tensions at the micro level. Furthermore, previous organizational studies have overlooked employees emotionally driven acts. To fill these research gap, this study examined the paradoxical relationships between espoused cultural values, perceived organizational culture, negative emotions (fear of social exclusion), and knowledge sharing in South Korean organizations. The results show that paradoxical tensions between espoused Confucian culture and knowledge sharing supportive culture result in fear of social exclusion. Subsequently, fear of social exclusion has a negative association with knowledge sharing intention. This study contributes to micro-level research of paradoxes by examining the paradoxes of belonging and of performance at the individual level and their influence on employees’ knowledge-sharing behavior.