This study investigates how managers can enhance the knowledge management (KM) among front line hotel employees at the individual level, by affecting the employee goal orientations through supervisory orientations. This study found significant influence of supervisory orientations on employee goal orientation. The positive effect of employee learning goal orientation on KM is also significant. However the effect of performance goal orientation on KM is insignificant. Results also support the indirect positive effect of the supervisory end result, and capability orientations on KM through the mediation of goal orientation. The main contribution of this study is the identification of indirect effect of supervisory orientation on KM through the mediation of employee goal orientation. This study links three separate concepts which are supervisory orientation, employee goal orientation and KM in a single model, for the very first time. Furthermore, the concept of supervisory orientations has not been discussed in the existing hospitality literature. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.