When is an Islamic work ethic more likely to spur helping behavior? The roles of despotic leadership and gender

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how employees' Islamic work ethic might enhance their propensity to help their coworkers on a voluntary basis, as well as how this relationship might be invigorated by despotic leadership. It also considers how the invigorating role of despotic leadership might depend on employees' gender. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from employees and their supervisors in Pakistani organizations. Findings Islamic work values relate positively to helping behaviors, and this relationship is stronger when employees experience despotic leadership, because their values motivate them to protect their colleagues against the hardships created by such leadership. This triggering role of despotic leadership is particularly strong among female employees. Practical implications For organizations, the results demonstrate that Islamic work values may be important for creating a culture that promotes collegiality, to a greater extent when employees believe that their leaders act as despots who exploit their followers for personal gain. Originality/value This study elaborates how employees' Islamic work ethic influences the likelihood that they help their coworkers, particularly in work contexts marked by stress-inducing leadership.