With great power comes… great manipulation? Examining the relation between inclusive leadership and experienced emotional manipulation and investigating how managerial and employee power affect this relation
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2025-06-20
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en
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Abstract
The current literature on inclusive leadership has mostly focused on positive effects. As a result,
the dark side of inclusive leadership and possible negative effects have received a lack of
attention. Using theoretical insights related to emotional manipulation and power dynamics,
this study examined the relation between inclusive leadership and emotional manipulation, and
the moderating roles of manager power and employee power. These relations were investigated
using a cross-sectional, quantitative research in the form of a survey, and by analysing answers
of 188 respondents. The results indicate a positive relation between inclusive leadership and
emotional manipulation. Employee power was found to moderate this relation, decreasing its
effect. When the level of inclusive leadership increases, employees experience more emotional
manipulation, especially when employee power is low. Furthermore, a direct positive relation
was found between manager power and emotional manipulation, and a direct negative relation
between employee power and emotional manipulation. These findings highlight the importance
of investigating for other negative effects of inclusive leadership in order to understand and
decrease them. Furthermore, the results show the importance of ensuring high employee power
for decreasing emotional manipulation.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen