How and when does differentiated empowering leadership enhance group knowledge hiding?

Purpose This study aims to investigate the following issues: the mediating mechanisms through which differentiated empowering leadership (DEL) influences group knowledge hiding (GKH), and the moderating effect of task interdependence on the relationship between DEL and trust climate/group cohesion. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 collected data from 263 employees from 33 service departments of 16 star-level hotels in China. Study 2 collected data from 443 employees from 44 service departments of 24 star-level hotels in China. The hypothesized relationships were tested in regression analysis with SPSS. Findings It is found that DEL has a positive impact on GKH, fully mediated by trust climate, group cohesion and group efficacy. Trust climate emerges as a stronger mediator compared to group efficacy. Furthermore, the positive effect of DEL on trust climate is pronounced when task interdependence is low. Originality/value The findings contribute to both DEL and knowledge-hiding literature by identifying and comparing the mediating effect of trust climate, group cohesion and group efficacy connecting DEL with GKH. This study highlights that the impact of DEL on group outcomes depends on task interdependence. The study’s practical implications and cultural limitations are also discussed.