This study surveyed 355 employees from domestic enterprises to construct a dual-mediation model, exploring the impact of exploitative leadership on employee work well-being from self-verification theory and social exchange theory perspectives. Results indicate that exploitative leadership negatively affects employee work well-being, with affective commitment and organization-based self-esteem serving as mediators. This research enriches studies on exploitative leadership and work well-being, expands the application scope of relevant theories, and provides managerial insights for enhancing employee well-being and organizational performance.

Yingjie Peng. The Double Shadow of Exploitative Leadership: The Lost Path of Affective Commitment and Organization-Based Self-Esteem. Academic Journal of Business & Management (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 5: 97-105. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJBM.2025.070513.

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