DefinePK

Abstract

The current study employs Employees' Emotional Exhaustion as a mediator and Emotional Intelligence as a moderator to examine Despotic Leadership's impact on Employees' Megaphoning Behaviour and Work Withdrawal Behaviour. The "Stress, Appraisal, and Coping" theory provides the theoretical basis. The study's hypotheses examine how despotic leaders affect EMB and WWB between EEE and EI. The population comprises Federal Government Organizations employees, with the sample from Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Division (PDSID). Data collection used questionnaires through surveys in a non-contrived setting using purposive sampling. The study followed a deductive approach with a time-lag research design. Analysis of 313 responses gathered across three time spans (Time T1, T2, and T3) was conducted using SPSS and AMOS. Results show DL significantly affects EEE, with EI moderating outcome variables. This paper contributes to organizational behaviour studies in leadership, stress, emotions, and behaviour by examining negative influences in organizations. The study presents novel relationships and provides non-Western perspectives for hierarchical structures in developing countries using SAC theory. The findings suggest transforming authoritarian leadership to empathetic behaviour through human development investment. Stress management training for mental resilience should be implemented to shift from power-centric to people-centric approaches. This research opens future opportunities in organizational behaviour, stress, and coping mechanisms using SAC theory.