A wolf in sheep's clothing: The perils of exploitative leadership

Abstract Despite extensive scholarly inquiry into destructive leadership, research on leaders’ self‐serving and exploitative behaviour is in its initial stages. This multi‐study investigation contributes to this body of literature. Study 1 was conducted to test the serial mediation of state suspicion (SS) and supervisor‐based cynicism between exploitative leadership and employee procrastination. It involved collecting single‐source time‐lagged data from textile industry employees in Pakistan. Study 2 replicated the findings of study 1 in the information technology (IT) industry by using multi‐source time‐lagged data. It extended the suggested model by proposing negative workplace gossip about supervisors as an outcome of exploitative leadership and employee procrastination. The results of study 1 ( N = 279) and study 2 ( N = 244) supported the serial mediation of SS and supervisor‐based cynicism between exploitative leadership and employee outcomes.