The interplay between entrepreneurial leadership, trust and knowledge sharing: a moderated mediation perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the direct effect of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on knowledge-sharing behavior (KSB) in the hospitality sector. In addition, the study investigates the mediating role of trust in leader (TIL) in the relationship between EL and KSB, as well as the moderating role of workplace bullying (WB) in the link between TIL and KSB. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 623 hotel employees across four cities in Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire administered in four separate waves spaced two weeks apart. The analysis was conducted using SPSS v27 and AMOS v24. Findings The findings reveal that EL significantly enhances employees’ KSB, with TIL acting as a crucial mediating mechanism. In addition, WB was found to moderate the positive relationship between TIL and KSB, further supporting the mediated moderation framework. Originality/value This study provides early empirical evidence on how EL fosters knowledge-sharing activity and contributes to the leadership and knowledge management literature by examining these relationships through a mediated and moderated lens.