Leader knowledge hiding and employee change-oriented voice: A dual mediation process

Extending the literature on “leader knowledge hiding” to employee work behavior, we present the first empirical investigation of how and when “leader knowledge hiding” impacts “employee change-oriented voice”. We test the mediated effects of “leader-based self-esteem” and “leader-based trust” on the relationship between “leader knowledge hiding” and “employee change-oriented voice” by integrating the theoretical frameworks provided by the theories of self-consistency and social exchange. We also invoke social role theory and propose leader gender as the boundary condition for these mediating effects. Two field studies are conducted using multi-source (leader-employee dyads) data from various tourism and hospitality organizations. This study uncovers the dual mediation process of “leader-based self-esteem” and “leader-based trust” in transferring the negative consequences of “leader knowledge hiding” to “employee change-oriented voice” and presents evidence for the effect of “leader gender” as a boundary condition.