Responsible leadership and workplace deviant behaviour: modelling trust and turnover intention as mediator

Purpose Drawing on psychological contract theory and social identity theory, this study aims at examining the mediating role of trust and turnover intention (TI) between the relationship of responsible leadership (RL) and work deviant behavior (WDB). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 230-full-time hospital staffs to examine the hypothesized relationship. Moreover, study employed a two-step SEM approach to test the proposed relationships. Findings The results derived from "partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)" analysis revealed that RL does not affect WDB. The findings further provided a noteworthy theoretical understanding that of influence of RL on WDB is better explained by trust, whereas the impact of RL on WD is less translated through TI. Practical implications This study entails vital managerial implications by demonstrating that how hospitals should improve WDB. Originality/value The study makes a unique contribution in RL literature by linking psychological contract theory and social identity theory. This novel research endeavour also bridges important theoretical gaps by highlighting the additive effects of RL and exploring the competing mediation mechanism through which RL influence WDB.