The Impact of Exploitative Leadership on Service Sabotage, The Mediating Roles of Psychological Contract Breach and Moral Disengagement in the Healthcare Sector of Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Abstract

The healthcare industry in Islamabad and Rawalpindi is a sector that works under a high level of pressure which has rendered it highly susceptible to adverse leadership behaviors. This research looks at the role of exploitative leadership in service sabotage among the healthcare employees based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. The research examines the direct impact of exploitative leadership on service sabotage and determines whether psychological contract breach and the moral disengagement is a mediating factor. The research adopted a quantitative methodology and used closed ended questionnaire to measure the study variables. Data was collected online, and paper based, and analysis was done using SPSS. Results indicate that exploitative leadership has a great impact on service sabotage. Both moral disengagement and psychological contract breach were found to be both powerful and meaningful mediators which implies that exploitative leaders undermine the perceived obligations and moral self-regulation of employees and eventually promote damaging behaviors in the workplace. Findings are helpful to the COR theory since they prove the existence of counter-productive reactions caused by resource loss. Subsequently, the study suggests leadership development programs, better organizational policies on exploitative behavior, better psychological safety, and efforts that boost ethical behavior. To the policymakers, the study points out the necessity of integrating the leadership standards and reporting measures into the healthcare policies. Longitudinal designs, multi-source data and other mediators can be chosen in future studies to include burnout or organizational justice.