Not All Resources Are Equal: Testing Job and Personal Resources as Buffers in the Despotic Leadership–Emotional Exhaustion Nexus using JD-R Theory

Abstract

The persistence of despotic leadership in public sector healthcare settings raises serious concerns about employee well-being and organizational sustainability. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory, this study examines how despotic leadership operates as a job demand that escalates emotional exhaustion, which in turn fosters withdrawal behavior among junior nurses. The research further investigates the buffering role of perceived organizational support as a contextual resource and psychological capital as a personal resource. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey from 428 junior nurses employed in four major public hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan: Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, and General Hospital. Established scales were employed, and the data were analyzed using SPSS and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro. Preliminary analyses confirmed reliability, validity, and absence of common method bias, while structural testing revealed that emotional exhaustion significantly mediated the despotic leadership–withdrawal relationship. Both perceived organizational support and psychological capital moderated the stressor–strain link, attenuating the adverse effects of leadership toxicity. These findings highlight that leadership styles not only influence immediate job attitudes but also trigger broader strain processes that undermine workforce stability in high-pressure environments, such as public healthcare. The study enriches JD-R theory by extending its application to destructive leadership contexts and integrating both organizational and personal resources as dual buffers. Practically, it suggests that healthcare administrators must foster supportive climates and invest in developing nurses’ psychological capital to mitigate leadership-induced stress. Limitations and directions for future inquiry are discussed.