How and When Servant Leadership Influences Employee Knowledge Sharing

Abstract

This research examines how and when servant leadership influences employee knowledge sharing. We develop a moderated mediation model and test it by conducting two studies, a survey with a sample of 187 non-Chinese employees working in European branches of Chinese multinational enterprises and a scenario experiment with 171 individuals working in the United Kingdom. The results suggest that (1) voice behavior mediates the positive relationship between servant leadership and individual knowledge sharing, (2) organizational justice positively moderates the relationship between servant leadership and voice behavior, (3) the indirect effect of servant leadership on knowledge sharing via voice behavior is stronger for employees with higher levels of individualism. In addition, we didn’t find support for the role of individualism as a moderator for the influence of servant leadership on voice behavior and work engagement. The theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.