Faith and Fellowship: How Religiousness and Collectivism Foster Helping Under Abusive Leadership

What is it about?

This study explores how two personal qualities—religiousness and collectivism—encourage employees to help their coworkers, especially when they face disrespectful or abusive leaders. The researchers argue that religious values can give employees a moral drive to support others, while collectivism—valuing group harmony and mutual care—makes people more likely to stand by their peers. Together, these qualities act as psychological resources that promote voluntary helping behaviors, even when the work environment becomes stressful or hostile. Using survey data from employees and supervisors in Pakistani organizations, the study finds that religiousness boosts employees’ willingness to help colleagues, especially under abusive supervision. While collectivism alone doesn’t always predict helping, it does in the presence of abusive leadership, showing that collective values activate under threat. In challenging situations, religious and collectivist employees draw on moral conviction and inner strength to support coworkers and maintain team unity. For organizations, these results underscore that fostering an environment where employees’ ethical and social values are respected can strengthen resilience against the harm caused by toxic leadership. Promoting fairness, inclusivity, and respect for diverse belief systems can help sustain cooperation even in challenging conditions. While preventing abusive supervision remains essential, recognizing and supporting employees’ faith-based and community-oriented strengths can transform adversity into shared commitment and care.

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Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash

Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in jointly examining religiousness and collectivism as dual personal resources that reinforce voluntary helping behaviors in the face of abusive leadership. It shows that faith-based moral motivation and group-oriented values can interact to transform negative workplace experiences into prosocial action. By extending conservation of resources theory, the study reveals how personal beliefs can serve as reservoirs of strength that employees draw upon when their social environment becomes emotionally taxing. The study is timely as workplaces around the world, including those in Pakistan, continue to grapple with challenges related to leadership ethics and employee well-being. In an era marked by rising stress and instability, this research highlights how moral conviction and social connectedness can sustain cooperation and compassion. It offers a hopeful insight: when guided by faith and fellowship, employees can preserve humanity and mutual support—even under the strain of abusive leadership.