Title: Knowledge management and emotional labour in the Nigerian hospitality industry: moderating role of ethical leadership

Authors: Desmond Neji Oben; Friday Ogbu Edeh; Mohammad Fakhrul Islam; Collins Irem Okechukwu; Gabriel Obasi Chidozie Udu; Vitalii S. Nitsenko; Matthias Elom Egede; Gloria Chinasa Nkwagu; Obiageri Onwuegbule

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria ' Department of Research & Innovations, College of Management & Economics, Kampala International University (Main Campus), Uganda ' Sustainability Competence Centre, Szechenyi Istvan University, Gyor, Hungary ' Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria ' Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria ' Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical Oil and Gas University, Ivano-Frankivsk 76019, Ukraine ' Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, 481101, Nigeria ' Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, 481101, Nigeria ' University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study investigated the moderating role of ethical leadership on the relationship between knowledge management and emotional labour in the Nigerian hospitality industry. The theories that underlined the work are the knowledge-based theory and emotional regulation theory. A cross-sectional research design was used, and primary data was obtained for the study, which was purposively drawn from 250 workers across a unit of hospitality firms. The data were analysed with partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLSSEM) V4.1. The findings revealed that knowledge management correlated with emotional labour. However, it was also found that ethical leadership does not significantly moderate the relationship between the constructs. The study recommends that managers need to encourage the acquisition, sharing and application of knowledge to solving workplace problems.

Keywords: knowledge management; emotional labour; ethical leadership; hospitality industry; Nigeria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLC.2025.146617

International Journal of Learning and Change, 2025 Vol.17 No.2, pp.205 - 229

Received: 31 Dec 2024
Accepted: 12 Mar 2025
Published online: 06 Jun 2025 *

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