Servant leadership effect on knowledge-hiding behavior: the moderated mediation influence of hope and burnout

Purpose This study examines the mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying the relationship between servant leadership and knowledge-hiding behavior, using a moderated mediation model based on data from Indian employees across diverse industries. Design/methodology/approach A total of 311 valid responses was analyzed employing Hayes’s PROCESS macro to test the proposed model. Findings Hope moderates the relationship between servant leadership and burnout. Specifically, servant leadership is associated with the strongest negative indirect effect on knowledge-hiding through burnout when hope is low. This negative effect persists but weakens when hope is high. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design restricts causal interpretations. Practical implications Findings offer insights to help organizations reduce knowledge-hiding behaviors among employees. Originality/value This study advances servant leadership and knowledge-hiding research by identifying how situational factors such as hope influence the effectiveness of servant leadership, emphasizing the need to align leadership style with contextual conditions to optimize outcomes.