Despite the growing scholarly and managerial interest in leadership styles within the hospitality industry, the linkage between benevolent leadership and perceived organizational support (POS) remained insufficiently examined in developing economies. This paper addresses this gap by investigating how the interaction between benevolent leadership and POS influences interpersonal deviance and individual-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in the Egyptian hospitality context.
Data was collected from 468 employees employed in four-star hotels across Greater Cairo. A convenience sampling approach was adopted due to practical constraints, including limited time and easy access to employees across various hotel departments. Structural equation modeling was conducted using SmartPLS v.4 to examine the relationships among benevolent leadership, POS, interpersonal deviance, and individual-oriented OCBs.
POS significantly amplified the negative association between benevolent leadership and interpersonal deviance while strengthening its positive effect on individual-oriented OCBs. Furthermore, married employees reported higher engagement in OCBs, and those with longer tenure exhibited reduced interpersonal deviance levels.
Our findings underscore the importance of hotel managers adopting benevolent leadership approaches that prioritize employee well-being, professional development, and emotional support. By reinforcing organizational support, hotel leaders can mitigate counterproductive behaviors while promoting pro-social behaviors and enhancing service quality and employee engagement.
This paper integrates social exchange and conservation of resources theories to offer valuable insights into leadership dynamics and employee behavior, enriching theoretical and practical understanding in politically nuanced organizational environments.
