The relationship between self-interested organizational ethical climate and exploitative leadership: An empirical test in China

Amid the ever-evolving business environment and increasing uncertainty, organizations must optimize their internal management and organizational structures to achieve sustainable development goals. This necessitates a deeper analysis of leadership. Rooted in social cognitive theory, this study examines the mechanism connecting self-interested organizational ethical climate and exploitative leadership. Employees from medium to large-sized enterprises in Xinjiang, China, were surveyed, and 296 valid responses were collected. Results show that self-interested organizational ethical climate exerts a significant positive influence on exploitative leadership, with hostile attribution bias mediating this relationship. Self-efficacy negatively moderates the relationship between self-interested organizational ethical climate and exploitative leadership. This study reveals the antecedent mechanisms and influence pathways of exploitative leadership, providing important theoretical and practical insights for organizational management.