The Toxic Dynamics of Perceived Leader Favoritism: How Jealousy and Malicious Envy Drive Counterproductive Work Behavior

The research investigates the psychopathological mechanisms through which perceived leader favoritism (PLF) can affect counterproductive work behavior (CWB) through the mediating effects of employee jealousy toward their coworkers and the specialized form of envy known as malicious envy. Integrating Social Comparison Theory with Affective Events Theory, the study proposes that perceived favoritism triggers unfavorable social comparisons, which in turn evoke negative emotional states that manifest in dysfunctional workplace behaviors. The research used a quantitative study design to gather information from 436 employees working in hotels. The researchers used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the research data while they also conducted reliability and validity assessments. The study shows that perceived leader favoritism leads to higher organizational counterproductive work behavior (CWB-O) and higher interpersonal counterproductive work behavior (CWB-I) among employees. The study found that PLF leads to higher employee jealousy levels which result in higher malicious envy levels that drive CWB behavior. The research found that jealousy and malicious envy function as central psychological pathways which connect favoritism to workplace deviance. This study offers a new contribution to the existing body of knowledge about leadership by extending its scope to investigate how subtle favoritism practices lead to harmful results while explaining the emotional mechanisms which cause counterproductive behavior. The research develops an integrated framework which helps people comprehend how perceived leader favoritism affects emotional responses and behavioral patterns within modern workplaces.