How does despotic leadership affect workplace incivility and depersonalization? The moderating role of perceived organisational support

Purpose Researchers have witnessed an increasing importance of personality in the workplace. Although ample research has been carried out on the various dimensions of personality and how it relates to organisational outcomes. However, a comprehensive understanding of dark aspects of personality and their relationship to organisational results is currently lacking. In this line, based on the conversation of resource theory (COR) and social cognitive theory (SCT), this study examines the behavioural dimension of dark leadership and how it is related to collective narcissism (CN), perceived LMSX imbalance (LMSX), workplace incivility (WI) and depersonalisation (DEP). Moreover, this study also examines the moderating role of perceived organisational support (POS) between CN, despotic leadership perceived LMSX imbalance and WI. Design/methodology/approach Data have been collected from employees working in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been applied to data analysis. Findings The results have revealed that despotic leadership is positively connected to WI, CN, perceived LMSX imbalance and Depersonalization. Moreover, CN is positively linked to WI, and further, it is positively related to Depersonalization. The mediating hypotheses revealed that CN is partially mediated between despotic leadership and WI. Moreover, WI mediates between despotic leadership and Depersonalization. POS negatively moderates despotic leadership and WI. Originality/value This study discusses novel implications for theory and managerial practices and contributes to the dark leadership literature by exploring POS as a moderator and the interconnection between despotic leadership, CN, LMSX imbalance and WI.