Tyrannical leadership and knowledge hiding: the mediating role of psychological distress and moderating role of psychological resilience

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study explores the impact of tyrannical leadership on knowledge hiding through the mediating role of psychological distress. Furthermore, this study investigates the moderating role of psychological resilience in the tyrannical leadership, psychological distress and knowledge hiding relationships. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data were collected from 364 employees working in the manufacturing and service sectors in Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed model. Findings The results show that tyrannical leadership and psychological distress enhance employees’ knowledge-hiding behaviors. Moreover, psychological distress mediates the nexus between tyrannical leadership and knowledge-hiding, while psychological resilience moderates these relationships. Practical implications The empirical findings of this investigation offer significant insights for managers to better undermine the negative effects of tyrannical leadership and enhance the psychological well-being of employees. Originality/value This study is probably the first attempt to explore how psychological distress mediates the impact of tyrannical leadership on knowledge hiding. This study also extends the current knowledge by considering the moderating role of psychological resilience in the relations between tyrannical leadership, psychological distress and knowledge hiding.