The impact of exploitative leadership on hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance: a self-determination perspective

Purpose Based on self-determination theory, this research paper aims to explore the implication of exploitative leadership for hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance (PCSP) via harmonious passion for work (HPFW) and the moderating mechanism of power distance. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ sample included a total of 207 leader–follower dyads from three Chinese hotels. Hierarchical multiple regression and the PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data. Findings The results indicated that exploitative leadership has a negative indirect relationship with hospitality employees’ PCSP through decreased HPFW, and power distance plays a protective role of alleviating the negative implications of exploitative leadership for hospitality employees’ HPFW and PCSP. Practical implications Hotels are suggested to develop strict codes of conduct and adopt zero-tolerance policies for exploitative leadership. Additionally, hotels should also act to improve employees’ HPFW and pay attention to low-power-distance employees. Originality/value This research enriches exploitative leadership literature by investigating its effect on PCSP. Further, this research investigates HPFW as a mechanism linking exploitative leadership to PCSP. Finally, this research establishes the relationships among exploitative leadership, HPFW and PCSP by investigating the contingent impact of power distance.