When leaders conceal: The influence of supervisor knowledge hiding on subordinates’ perceived employability in hospitality

The sustainable development of hospitality sector hinges on a highly employable workforce. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study investigates the often-overlooked role of supervisor knowledge hiding (SKH) in shaping employees’ perceived employability (PE) in hospitality. Specifically, it examines the chain-mediating roles of career networking behaviors and proactive skill development, and further explores how employees’ perceived overqualification (POQ) moderates these relationships. A three-wave time-lagged survey was conducted among 339 employees from 19 hotels across seven cities in China. Based on structural equation model and Bootstrap mediation tests, results reveal that SKH indirectly reduces PE by undermining career networking behaviors, and in a sequential pathway, through both career networking and proactive skill development. Moreover, POQ buffers the negative effect of SKH on career networking behaviors and weakens its indirect impact on PE. These findings underscore the importance for hospitality organizations to address SKH, as it can hinder employee career development.