Narcissistic leadership and behavioral cynicism in the hotel industry: the role of employee silence and negative workplace gossiping

Purpose Building on leader-member exchange and social cognitive theories, this paper aims to propose a model of the influence of narcissistic leadership on hotel employees’ behavioral cynicism through the mediating roles of employee silence and negative work-related gossiping on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach The model was examined using covariance-based structural equation modeling using data collected from 468 employees working in several different departments in Italian hotels. Findings The findings illustrate that narcissistic leadership positively affects behavioral cynicism. Furthermore, employee silence and negative work-related gossiping are shown to have a significant mediating effect on this relationship. Practical implications The study may be of use for hotel managers as it demonstrates how narcissism can be very damaging to their organizations and employees. Originality/value To date, this study is the first to examine negative work-related gossiping and employee silence as mediator variables in the relationship between narcissistic leadership and behavioral cynicism in the hotel industry. Further, this research makes a significant contribution to the hospitality literature as the topic of narcissistic leadership has not, to date, been adequately investigated in the sector.