The effect of exploitative leadership on knowledge hiding: a conservation of resources perspective

Abstract

PurposeDrawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to explore the influencing mechanism of exploitative leadership on knowledge hiding. Specifically, this study focuses on the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of hostile attribution bias in affecting the mediation.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 324 employees of a high-technology company in China by a three-wave questionnaire survey. Hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping approach were employed to test hypotheses.FindingsThis study found that exploitative leadership was positively related to knowledge hiding and that psychological distress mediated this relationship. Moreover, the results revealed that the positive relationship between exploitative leadership and psychological distress and the indirect effect of exploitative leadership on knowledge hiding via psychological distress were stronger when hostile attribution was high rather than low.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study offer guidance for managers to better undermine the negative effects of exploitative leadership.Originality/valueFirst, this study extends the literature on exploitative leadership by verifying the positive effect of exploitative leadership on knowledge hiding. Second, this study enriches one’s understanding of the “black box” underlying the link between exploitative leadership and its consequences by demonstrating the mediating role of psychological distress. Third, by verifying the moderating role of hostile attribution bias, this study provides insights into the boundary conditions of the impact of exploitative leadership.

Exploitative leadership and organizational cynicism: the mediating role of emotional exhaustion

“…The relationship between exploitative leadership and organizational cynicism As a kind of destructive leadership, EL constitutes a negative organizational pressure (Schmid et al, 2019;Guo et al, 2020), which denotes that EL can act as a resource-exhaustion leadership (Guo et al, 2020). EL can be described as leadership with an elementary intention to further the self-interest of leaders (Schmid et al, 2019).…”

“…Exploitative leaders deplete followers' valued individual resources related to self-esteem and self-respect. Besides, it is well recognized that the support of leaders is the most worthy social resource in the organization (Lee et al, 2018;Hobfoll, 2001;Guo et al, 2020).…”

“…Exploitative leadership (EL) is classified as destructive leadership since these leaders engage in a variety of undesirable actions (Schmid et al, 2019;Majeed and Fatima, 2020). "Leadership with the primary goal of furthering the leader's self-interest through exploiting others" is how EL is characterized (Schmid et al, 2019, p. 1,426;Guo et al, 2020). Exploitative leaders may take advantage of people by engaging in true egoistic behaviors such as challenging subordinates, taking credit, influencing subordinates and applying pressure (Schmid et al, 2019;Wang et al, 2020).…”

“…Past literature has demonstrated several negative consequences of EL including reduced affective commitment and job satisfaction, raised burnout, turnover intention, realized imbalance in social exchange and workplace deviance (Schmid et al, 2018(Schmid et al, , 2019Guo et al, 2020;Pircher Verdorfer et al, 2019).…”

Effect of Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Innovativeness and Job Satisfaction in Pakistani Private Sector

“…A study (Ghiasipour, Mosadeghrad, Shaqura & Jaafaripooyan, 2020) found that employees managed with a transformational leadership style had higher levels of job satisfaction when compared to associated factors such as charisma and intellectual stimulation. Employees managed under a transactional leadership style, on the other hand, reported higher levels of job dissatisfaction when compared to associated factors such as management by exception (Luo, Guo, & Cheng, 2020). As a result, in the current climate, the role of a leader is critical to organisational success.…”