The Impact of Negative Workplace Gossip and Narcissistic Leadership on Behavioral Cynicism and Knowledge Hiding: The Moderating Effect of Workplace Spirituality

Background/Problem: Lecturers at public universities in East Java, Indonesia, often face toxic workplace dynamics such as negative workplace gossip and narcissistic leadership. These behaviors are associated with emotional fatigue, distrust, knowledge hiding, and behavioral cynicism. However, the potential buffering role of workplace spirituality in such environments remains underexplored.Objective/Purpose: This study investigates the influence of negative workplace gossip and narcissistic leadership on behavioral cynicism and knowledge hiding, while also examining the moderating role of workplace spirituality.Design and Methodology: A total of 257 lecturers from the faculty of economics and business at public universities in East Java participated in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).Results: Negative workplace gossip significantly affects behavioral cynicism (β = .32, p = .00) and knowledge hiding (β = .18, p = .02). Narcissistic leadership positively influences behavioral cynicism (β = .21, p = .00) and knowledge hiding (β = .26, p = .01). Workplace spirituality moderates the impact of gossip on behavioral cynicism (β = −.17, p = .03) and knowledge hiding (β = −.13, p = .04), and also moderates the effect of narcissistic leadership on both behavioral cynicism (β = −.22, p = .00) and knowledge hiding (β = −.23, p = .03).Conclusion and Implications: The findings underscore the value of structured interventions that enhance workplace spirituality through behavioral approaches such as mindfulness training, reflective practice sessions, and prosocial behavior programs to reduce cynicism, discourage knowledge hiding, and strengthen openness, trust, and collaboration. This study contributes novel insights into how workplace spirituality can buffer the negative effects of narcissistic leadership and negative workplace gossip on behavioral cynicism and knowledge hiding in higher education institutions.