Turning benign envy into engagement: the moderating role of inclusive leadership in nursing

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the constructive role of benign professional envy in predicting nurses’ work engagement, highlighting the sequential mediating effects of help-seeking and learning behaviors, as well as the moderating influence of inclusive leadership. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from nurses working in Turkish hospitals using a questionnaire. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), this study tested a moderated sequential mediation model grounded in the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Findings: The results revealed that benign professional envy positively and significantly predicted nurse work engagement. Furthermore, help-seeking and learning behaviors sequentially mediate this relationship, indicating that envy motivates nurses to seek advice and engage in active learning, which, in turn, enhances engagement. Importantly, inclusive leadership significantly moderates the indirect effects, such that the positive impact of benign envy on engagement through help-seeking and learning is stronger under conditions of high-inclusiveness leadership. Practical implications: The findings suggest that healthcare managers and nurse leaders should reframe benign envy as a potential resource, rather than a liability. By fostering inclusive leadership practices and encouraging help-seeking and learning behaviors, hospitals can transform envy into a driver of engagement, ultimately improving nurses’ well-being, reducing turnover, and enhancing patient care outcomes. Theoretical implications: This study extends COR theory by demonstrating how benign envy initiates a gain spiral of resources when supported by adaptive behavior and inclusive leadership. It also contributes to the literature on emotions in nursing by clarifying the mechanisms through which envy fosters engagement in high-demand healthcare settings. Originality/value: This study is among the first to investigate the constructive dynamics of benign envy in the nursing profession, offering a novel model that integrates emotional, behavioral, and leadership perspectives to explain work engagement. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.