Purpose: Based on conservation of resources theory, the present study aims to investigate the negative leadership style (i.e. despotic leadership) and its influence on a key dimension of project success (i.e. project efficiency) directly and indirectly via employees’ job stress. Moreover, this study also aims to investigate the moderating role of resilience on the relationship between despotic leadership and employees’ job stress.Design/methodology/approach: This study used a time-lagged design and collected data via purposive sampling technique from 342 information technology project employees. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 24.Findings: The findings are in line with the proposed relationship, as despotic leadership negatively influences project efficiency via employees’ job stress and resilience plays a vital role in mitigating the effects of despotic leadership on employees' job stress.Practical implications: The findings of this study provide direction to information technology firms to develop strategies to decrease employees’ stress and increase project efficiency.Originality/value: This study extends the literature on leadership and information technology projects by examining how despotic leadership influences project efficiency via employees’ job stress. Negative leadership exists in organizations but has not yet been empirically explored; this study finds that it increases subordinates’ stress level and ultimately influences project efficiency.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between ethical leadership and project success directly and indirectly through psychological empowerment along with the moderating role of Islamic work ethic.Design/methodology/approach: Using a time-lagged design, data were gathered from 202 employees working in project-based organizations of Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the distinctiveness of variables used in the study.Findings: Consistent with the cognitive evaluation theory, the findings supported the hypotheses other than the moderating role of Islamic work ethics between psychological empowerment and project success. The results confirmed that ethical leadership promotes project success directly and indirectly via psychological empowerment. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications are also discussed highlighting the importance of ethical leadership for researchers and practitioners.Originality/value: Literature is insufficient on the topic of ethical leadership in the project management domain with the effect of Islamic work ethics and psychological empowerment. Therefore, the current study explored unanswered research questions in the project management domain.

Purpose: The success of projects is a major challenge for information technology (IT) project-based businesses (PBOs). Employees' negative emotions (NE) disrupt the employees' usual work activities by creating obstacles to routine operations. Organizations should take steps to lessen these NE. The current study assessed the mediating role of NE and the moderating influence of employee mindfulness in the association between despotic leadership (DL) and IT project success (PS).Design/methodology/approach: Time-lagged data were collected from 341 employees working in various IT-based project organizations in Pakistan using purposive sampling.Findings: Results were consistent with the authors' hypothesized framework, as DL increases employees' NE, which in turn negatively affects IT PS. In addition, mindfulness plays a buffering role in mitigating the damaging impact of DL on NE.Originality/value: Previous researchers focused on the positive aspects of leadership and its influence on PS and paid limited attention to the dark leadership style. The authors' study's findings help understand how project-based organizations can reduce employees' NE.

Purpose: Thriving at work can affect eustress and distress differently, so the main purpose of this study is to determine the impact of thriving at work on stress and to extend the existing literature on stress by examining the mediating mechanism of career growth, which is one of the functions of human resource development, in the relationship between thriving at work and stress. Person environment fit theory is used to explain the framework. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 179 employees of the hospitality sector of Pakistan to assess the impact of thriving at work on eustress and distress through the mediation of career growth. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings: Results revealed thriving at work is positively related to eustress whereas it is negatively related to distress, and there is a positive association between thriving and career growth. Furthermore, career growth appeared as an effective explanatory mechanism for relationships between thriving at work and stress. Implications for managers are also discussed. Originality/value: This study encompasses both positive and negative stressors. There are lots of studies available that examine thriving at work and stress, but the present study aims to examine the impact of thriving on both aspects of stress in the presence of career growth as the mediator in the hospitality sector of Pakistan. It also opens new avenues for research on P-E fit theory to gain benefit from the eustress of employees.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of nurses’ paternalistic leadership style on performance, in the presence of underlying mechanisms, i.e. self-efficacy as a mediator in the high-power distance societies, namely, China and Pakistan, based on social exchange theory. Both healthcare sectors have seen several behavioral advancements in recent years. To improve things, even more, behavioral elements such as the influence of leadership styles, personality traits and so on have become more important. However, leadership styles, particularly paternalistic leadership, have received little attention in this field and need to be highlighted along with the mediating and moderating effects. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from public and private sector hospitals in China and Pakistan using a 6-week time lag technique. Firstly, 356 Chinese and 411 Pakistani nurses were surveyed about their perceptions of power distance, self-efficacy and paternalistic leadership. Their managers were called six weeks later for a dyadic response to provide feedback on nurses’ performance. For confirmatory factor analysis, AMOS 22 and for regression analysis, SPSS 22 was used. Findings: According to the study's findings, nurses in both countries perform well when led by a paternalistic leader. Furthermore, self-efficacy explains the relationship between paternalistic leaders and nurses’ performance. The moderated-mediation result also supported the importance of power distance. Originality/value: This study highlights the kind of nursing leadership which is beneficial in high-power-distance societies and leads to better performance. According to this research, paternalistic leadership improves nurses’ performance in both China and Pakistan. As a result, this study will be useful in high-power-distance societies, where hospital administrators can ensure that paternalism is implemented in leadership, thereby improving nurse performance.

Background: The study investigates the impact of paternalistic leadership on the performance of nurses. Furthermore, it looks into the role of self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between paternalistic leadership and performance. It also looks into the role of power distance as a moderator.Methods: The study used a quantitative survey-based research approach, with questionnaire responses collected over time. Initially, 315 Chinese nurses were surveyed about their views on paternalistic leadership, self-efficacy, and power distance. While their supervisors were called after 6 weeks for a dyadic answer, they were asked to offer their thoughts on their performance. The AMOS 22 software was used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while the SPSS 22 software was employed for descriptive statistics, such as the correlation and regression analysis.Results: The findings demonstrated that paternalistic leadership had a beneficial impact on performance. Furthermore, the role of self-efficacy as a mediator and power distance as a moderating mediator in this relationship has been evidenced.Conclusion: The results suggest that paternalistic leadership has a good impact on nurse performance. Furthermore, self-efficacy as a mediator explains the association between paternalistic leadership and nursing performance adequately. Furthermore, power distance appeared to be a powerful moderator, as the moderated mediation results revealed that in high-power-distant societies, such as China, self-efficacy enhances the link between paternalistic leadership and nursing performance. Limitations and future directions were also discussed.