The double-edged effect of exploitative leadership on employees’ innovative behavior: Evidence from China

Exploitative leadership significantly impacts employees’ attitude and behavior, underscoring the need to explore its effects on employee innovation. In this study we analyzed responses to a survey of 378 employees in China using Mplus 8.0. The results showed that exploitative leadership was negatively related to employees’ innovative behavior, with knowledge hiding and self-efficacy acting as mediators of this relationship. In addition, the sense of personal traditionality moderated the relationship between exploitative leadership and employees’ innovative behavior. These findings offer valuable implications for enhancing organizational practices and fostering a more innovative workplace environment.