<b>From Toxic Traits to Toxic Workplaces: The Mediating Role of Abusive Supervision in the Link Between Supervisors' Dark Triad and Employee Cynicism, and Organizational Sustainable Performance</b><b></b>

Dark triad leadership has been linked to drastic consequences globally. This study investigates the influence of supervisors' Dark Triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) on organizational sustainable performance (OSP) through abusive supervision and employee cynicism, with artificial intelligence (AI) adoption as a moderator. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET), data from 450 employees in Pakistani SMEs were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study’s results reveal that supervisor narcissism and psychopathy significantly increase abusive supervision, while Machiavellianism unexpectedly reduces it. Abusive supervision triggers employee cynicism, which subsequently reduces OSP. The findings also illustrate that abusive supervision and employee cynicism sequentially mediate the effects of narcissism and psychopathy on OSP. AI adoption moderates the damaging impact of cynicism on OSP. Theoretical contributions include validating Dark Triad-driven serial mediation pathways in an understudied context and demonstrating AI’s moderating role in mitigating cynicism. Practical implications suggest psychometric screening for Dark Triad traits in leadership, AI-integrated transparency tools, and robust accountability mechanisms to curb abuse and foster sustainable performance.