Leader-Expressed Humility as a Moderator: Narcissistic and Paternalistic Leadership in Employee Retention

This study examines the impact of narcissistic and paternalistic leadership styles on employee job embeddedness, as well as the moderating effect of leader-expressed humility on the relationship between job embeddedness and employee retention. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, and Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, the research offers a multi-theoretical perspective on how leadership behaviors influence employee attachment and retention in organizations. Data were collected from 382 employees in the cutlery manufacturing sector of Gujranwala, Pakistan—a region known for high labor turnover and limited organizational stability. Using structural equation modeling, we find that narcissistic leadership negatively impacts job embeddedness, while the moral and benevolent dimensions of paternalistic leadership positively influence it. The authoritarian component of paternalism shows a weak but positive association. Although leaderexpressed humility correlates positively with employee retention, it does not significantly moderate the relationship between job embeddedness and retention. The findings provide theoretical insights into the understudied interaction between leadership styles and embeddedness in emerging economies and offer practical guidance for human resource professionals and organizational leaders seeking to foster longterm employee commitment. Additionally, it contributes to the existing leadership literature by linking contrasting leadership styles in a high-power distance and non-Western context. The study recommends prioritizing relational leadership traits and reevaluating humility-based strategies in hierarchical cultural settings