Exploitative Leadership: An Exploratory Focus Group Study of Young Professionals

The concept of exploitative leadership - managers who act in self-interest while maintaining a facade of friendliness - has gained increasing scholarly attention. Yet, most research remains quantitative and focused on traditional work environments, leaving a limited understanding of exploitative leadership in qualitative and remote work contexts. We do not know: (1) employees‘ perceptions of the term “exploitative leadership”; (2) employees’ feelings and responses to exploitative leadership in remote settings; (3) contexts in which exploitative leadership is likely to occur across traditional, remote, and hybrid work; (4) managers´ and employees’ awareness of such behavior; and (5) strategies or technologies that might help mitigate exploitative leadership. To explore these questions, three online focus groups were conducted: Group 1 (little to no experience working remotely), Group 2 (some experience, such as occasional home office work), and Group 3 (frequent and sustained experience, including regular home office work), with five to six participants each, representing diverse professional backgrounds. Thematic analysis revealed five overarching themes: perceptions of exploitative leadership; employees’ feelings and responses; instances of exploitative leadership; awareness of behaviors; and coping strategies. Findings indicate that hierarchical remote work settings – where leaders face performance pressure or stress – pose a heightened risk of exploitative behavior. Moreover, reduced interaction may require employees to voice concerns more proactively. Overall, the study extends the understanding of exploitative leadership in remote and hybrid work and lays groundwork for future quantitative validation.