Not everyone fights back: the buffering role of kinship employee engagement in reducing moral disengagement under authoritarian leadership

Purpose This study aims to examine the sequential influence of authoritarian leadership on moral disengagement and covert deviant behaviors (digital presenteeism, data hoarding and micro-sabotage), while also analyzing the mediating roles of workplace alienation and perceived injustice and the moderating role of kinship employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach A total of 321 university lecturers in Indonesia participated through online and offline surveys. The data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling with AMOS software. Findings Of the 13 proposed relationships, 12 were statistically supported. Authoritarian leadership significantly predicts workplace alienation and perceived injustice, which in turn increase moral disengagement. Moral disengagement positively affects digital presenteeism and micro-sabotage, but not data hoarding directly. However, indirect effects through workplace alienation were observed. Kinship employee engagement weakens the effect of authoritarian leadership on moral disengagement, highlighting its buffering role. Research limitations/implications First, the study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design and limiting causal inference. Future research may benefit from using longitudinal or qualitative approaches to capture deeper mechanisms and changes over time. Second, data were collected through self-reports from university lecturers in Indonesia, which may introduce bias. Future studies should consider multi-source data to enhance validity and reduce social desirability effects. Third, the leadership style examined was limited to authoritarian leadership. Future research may explore other leadership styles (e.g. transformational, servant) to provide a comparative perspective on ethical outcomes. Practical implications Higher education institutions should foster kinship-oriented environments to reduce the psychological and ethical harm caused by rigid leadership styles. Social implications Promoting relational support and mutual respect in the workplace may enhance ethical resilience and reduce covert deviant behaviors in academic settings. Originality/value This study contributes to the job demands-resources (JD-R) and moral disengagement theory by introducing kinship employee engagement as a culturally relevant buffer in collectivist societies. It integrates psychological and behavioral outcomes into a single framework of ethical erosion in academia.