Interplay between exploitative leadership, knowledge hoarding, core self-evaluation, and psychological capital

Exploitative leadership is an acute threat to employees due to its negative effects on their attitudinal and behavioural outcomes. Despite the prevalence of exploitative leadership, research on this notion is still in its infancy. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, our study examines the effect of exploitative leadership on knowledge hoarding. We also investigate the mediating role of psychological capital and core self-evaluation between exploitative leadership and knowledge hoarding. Data is collected from faculty members of higher education institutions (N = 261) using a three-wave time-lag design. The results of structural equation modelling reveal that exploitative leadership increases knowledge hoarding and decreases psychological capital and core self-evaluation. In addition, we find exploitative leadership indirectly influences knowledge hoarding through psychological capital and core self-evaluation. The research findings contribute to the understudied literature on exploitative leadership by investigating knowledge hoarding as a new outcome. In addition, it contributes to the literature by shedding light on the mediating mechanisms between exploitative leadership and knowledge hoarding.