Exploring differentiated empowering leadership: the impact on knowledge sharing

Purpose This paper seeks to explore the influence mechanism of differentiated empowering leadership on knowledge sharing and the moderating role of perceptions of organizational politics. Design/methodology/approach A paired-sample collection method is employed to conduct an empirical research study on 287 employees. Findings The results indicate that the direct effect of differentiated empowering leadership on knowledge sharing is not significant, but it has a significantly positive impact on their organizational cynicism. Moreover, organizational cynicism plays the sole mediating role between differentiated empowering leadership and knowledge sharing. Finally, the perceptions of organizational politics moderate the relationship between differentiated empowering leadership and organizational cynicism as well as that between organizational cynicism and knowledge sharing. Originality/value The research results demonstrate the specific mechanism by which differentiated empowering leadership influences knowledge sharing through the mediating role of organizational cynicism. In particular, the paper determines the distinct roles played by perceptions of organizational politics as boundary conditions within this mechanism.