<![CDATA[This article investigates whether social exclusion prompts Generation Z employees to conceal requested knowledge and whether work-related tension carries that effect. The model was tested with questionnaire responses from 200 eligible workers in service and customer-contact roles in Kabupaten Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia. PLS-SEM estimates obtained in SmartPLS 4 supported all proposed paths: ostracism predicted knowledge hiding and job tension; tension predicted hiding; and the indirect effect through tension was significant. The pattern indicates that exclusion can drain psychological resources and produce strain, making delayed, incomplete, or withheld responses to colleagues’ requests more likely. The study extends organizational behavior and human resource management research by demonstrating this defensive process in a young, non-metropolitan service workforce. Organizations can limit it by responding promptly to exclusion, reinforcing inclusive team norms, and establishing psychologically safe routines for exchanging work knowledge.]]>
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