Knowledge Leadership and Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Hiding and the Moderating Role of Power Distance

Teimory, Sahar; Geraei, Ehsan; Mirzaeifar, Davood

doi:10.22055/slis.2026.52538.2022

Knowledge Leadership and Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Hiding and the Moderating Role of Power Distance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Sahar Teimory ¹

Ehsan Geraei ²

Davood Mirzaeifar ²

¹ M.Sc. in Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

² Faculty Member, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22055/slis.2026.52538.2022

Abstract

Abstract
Background and Objectives: Organizational performance is a central concern for universities because the quality and efficiency of their operations affect the services they provide to students, faculty members, and society. Leadership is especially important in shaping how employees learn, exchange knowledge, and contribute to institutional goals. Knowledge-oriented leadership supports individual and collective learning, encourages the creation and application of knowledge, and can establish a collaborative environment in which employees share their expertise. Its benefits, however, may be weakened by knowledge hiding, defined as an employee’s intentional attempt to conceal or withhold knowledge requested by another person. This behavior can restrict communication, learning, creativity, and problem solving and may ultimately reduce organizational performance. Power distance may also be relevant because acceptance of unequal power distribution and rigid hierarchy can limit informal communication and employee participation and encourage knowledge hiding. Further evidence is needed regarding the mechanism through which knowledge-oriented leadership relates to organizational performance and the possible role of power distance in this process, particularly in universities. Accordingly, this study investigated the direct effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on organizational performance, its indirect effect through knowledge hiding, the effect of power distance on knowledge hiding, and the moderating role of power distance in the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding among employees of Lorestan University.
Methodology: This applied study used a descriptive-correlational design and structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised 383 formal, fixed-term, and contractual employees of Lorestan University. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table and stratified random sampling, 181 employees were selected. Data were collected using four instruments: Viitala’s 29-item Knowledge Leadership Questionnaire, Ahmadi’s 22-item Organizational Performance Questionnaire, Connelly et al.’s 12-item Knowledge Hiding Questionnaire, and Rafeiyee et al.’s 27-item Power Distance Questionnaire. Face and content validity were reviewed by specialists in educational management and information science and knowledge studies, and the items were adapted to the research setting based on their comments. Reliability and convergent validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and average variance extracted; the reported values met the adopted thresholds. Descriptive statistics were calculated in SPSS, and the measurement and structural models were analyzed in SmartPLS. Factor loadings and t statistics were examined, direct and moderating paths were tested, and the indirect effect was additionally evaluated using the Sobel test.
Findings: Knowledge-oriented leadership had a significant positive direct effect on organizational performance (beta = 0.498, t = 6.863, p < 0.001) and a significant negative effect on knowledge hiding (beta = -0.305, t = 2.728, p = 0.007). Knowledge hiding had a significant negative effect on organizational performance (beta = -0.249, t = 3.113, p = 0.002). Power distance had a significant positive direct effect on knowledge hiding (beta = 0.322, t = 3.466, p = 0.001), indicating that higher power distance was associated with greater knowledge hiding. The indirect effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on organizational performance through knowledge hiding was significant (beta = 0.076, t = 2.070, p = 0.026); the Sobel statistic was also 2.070, supporting mediation. By contrast, the moderating effect of power distance on the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding was not significant (beta = -0.099, t = 1.083, p = 0.379). Thus, five of the six tested hypotheses were supported.
Discussion: Knowledge-oriented leadership was associated with better organizational performance both directly and indirectly through lower knowledge hiding. Leaders who clarify organizational goals, support learning, respond constructively to errors, model knowledge sharing, and create opportunities for dialogue can help employees exchange and use knowledge more effectively. The negative association between knowledge hiding and performance indicates that deliberately withholding requested knowledge may obstruct collaboration, problem solving, innovation, and service quality. Power distance was directly associated with knowledge hiding, suggesting that hierarchical and highly formal relationships may create communication barriers and reduce employees’ willingness to exchange knowledge. However, power distance did not significantly change the strength of the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge hiding in this sample. Thus, it may contribute to knowledge hiding without necessarily conditioning the influence of leadership on that behavior. The results support creating safe opportunities for expressing ideas, involving employees in goal setting, rewarding knowledge sharing, documenting experience in accessible repositories, establishing mentoring programs, strengthening informal communication, and reducing unnecessary hierarchical barriers. Overall, the findings highlight the value of combining knowledge-oriented leadership with organizational arrangements that discourage knowledge hiding and facilitate the circulation of employee knowledge to improve university performance.

Keywords

Knowledge Leadership

Organizational Performance

Knowledge Hiding

Power Distance

Lorestan University

Subjects

Knowledge Management

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