Does organizational nihilism lead to workplace toxicity? A mediation-moderation longitudinal multistudy investigation

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the influence of organizational nihilism on workplace toxicity. Based on the social information processing theory, this study constructs a moderated mediation model linking dark leadership and organizational hypocrisy to the effect of organizational nihilism on workplace toxicity. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on longitudinal and multistudy research designs, wherein first study was conducted on frontline workers and supervisors engaged in Indian hotels and second study replicated the results on frontline workers and supervisors working in Indian restaurants. With final sample sizes of 412 and 422 for the two studies, a mediating moderating analysis through Process Macro was used for analysis. Findings This study confirms that organizational nihilism is positively associated with workplace toxicity indicating that nihilism recedes intrinsic and extrinsic employee resources, leading to disengagement and counterproductive behaviors. Supporting Social Information Processing (SIP) theory, this study also indicates that organizational hypocrisy significantly mediates the relationship between nihilism and toxicity. Further dark leadership moderates the relationship between nihilism and workplace toxicity, exacerbating toxicity through manipulative, coercive, and self-centered behaviors. Organizational nihilism accounts for a substantial variance in workplace toxicity (40.3% and 47.1% in two separate models), emphasizing its critical role in shaping organizational culture and toxicity levels. Originality/value This study is unique in that it examines how organizational nihilism contributes to workplace toxicity by integrating Conservation of Resource and SIP theories. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the dual role of organizational hypocrisy as a mediator and dark leadership as a moderator, shedding light on the mechanisms that drive toxicity. The findings underscore the importance of proactive leadership strategies to mitigate workplace toxicity and address organizational nihilism for creating employee well-being and organizational integrity.