Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40329401›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

How exploitative leadership undermines subordinates' taking charge behavior? A moderated mediation model.

Lingnan Kong, Sha Liu, Lu Liu, Shunkun Yu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lingnan KongSchool of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Bei Nong Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China.
Sha LiuSchool of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Bei Nong Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China.
Lu LiuFinance Department, Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, China. luliu8818@163.com.
Shunkun YuSchool of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Bei Nong Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China.

Funding

the Proof-of-Concept Project of Zhongguancun Open Laboratory 20220981113
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe study of the dark side of leadership is gaining growing interest, with negative leadership exerting a stronger influence on employees than positive leadership. Considering the importance of employees' proactive behaviors for organizational innovation and long-term growth, investigating whether exploitative leadership-a representative form of negative leadership-impacts such behaviors is a meaningful research question. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the impact of exploitative leadership on subordinates' taking charge behavior, as well as the mediating role of subordinates' organizational identification and the moderating role of traditionality.

methodsWe conducted a two-phase survey using convenience sampling across various industries in China, collecting cross-sectional data from 348 employees. A structural equation model with latent variables was used to test all hypotheses.

resultsThis study found that exploitative leadership negatively affects taking charge behavior, and organizational identification mediates the relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior. Furthermore, traditionality weakens the negative impact of exploitative leadership on organizational identification, as well as the indirect relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior through organizational identification. In other words, subordinates with high traditionality are more likely to adhere to authority, mitigating the adverse effects of exploitative leadership. CONCLUSIONS AND VALUE: This study applies social identity theory to explore the negative impact of exploitative leadership on taking charge behavior, revealing the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship, thus filling a gap in the literature on exploitative leadership. We also provide practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate the harmful effects of exploitative leadership and enhance the governance of leaders' exploitative behaviors.

Indexed as

EmploymentLeadershipOrganizational CultureSocial IdentificationAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMediation AnalysisMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesExploitative leadershipOrganizational identificationSocial identity theoryTaking charge behaviorTraditionality

Identifiers

PMID40329401
PMCPMC12057213

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.