When Work Overload Blocks Collaboration: How Resilience and Forgiveness Sustain Knowledge Sharing

What is it about?

This study examines how work overload—feeling overwhelmed by excessive job demands—can reduce employees’ willingness to share knowledge, a behavior vital for learning and innovation. Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, it proposes that heavy workloads deplete employees’ emotional and cognitive resources, leading to job dissatisfaction, which in turn discourages knowledge-sharing behavior. When employees feel drained or unappreciated, they tend to conserve energy by withholding insights or information, further weakening organizational learning. Using survey data from employees in Portugal’s construction retail sector, the study finds that job dissatisfaction mediates the negative link between work overload and knowledge sharing. Overloaded employees feel frustrated and fatigued, hindering collaboration. However, resilience and organizational forgiveness buffer this effect. Resilient employees recover faster and stay motivated, while a forgiving culture reduces fear of mistakes, encouraging openness and learning. Together, these resources turn strain into sustained cooperation. The findings reveal that even in demanding environments, emotional strength and compassion at work can preserve the flow of ideas and information. Organizations that foster resilience through training, support networks, and recovery time—and that practice forgiveness rather than blame—encourage employees to keep engaging collaboratively, even under pressure. These results underscore the importance of nurturing both individual and organizational resources to prevent overload from undermining knowledge exchange and collective performance.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is unique in demonstrating that job dissatisfaction mediates the link between work overload and reduced knowledge sharing, while resilience and organizational forgiveness act as powerful buffers. Integrating COR theory with emotional and relational perspectives, it shows how both inner strength and a humane organizational climate protect knowledge exchange from the draining effects of excessive work demands. The study enriches understanding of how resource restoration enables collaboration even under strain. It is also timely, as work intensification and burnout have become defining challenges of the modern workplace. Conducted in Portugal, the research highlights that resilience and forgiveness are not soft skills but strategic organizational assets. It offers a practical message for leaders: building a forgiving, supportive culture helps employees remain generous with their knowledge and connected to their peers—even when work feels overwhelming—sustaining both learning and well-being in demanding times.