Purpose: Drawing on the job demands-resources theory (JD-R), this study aims to discuss the relationship between paradoxical leadership and job crafting (approach and avoidance), considering the moderating role of overwork climate and organisational identification in two cultural context (China and Poland).

Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted on employees from diversified organisations in two different cultural context: China (N = 408) and Poland (N = 400). Statistical verifications of the three-way interaction effect were conducted with Jamovi version 2.3 and multigroup analysis with SPSS AMOS version 29.

Findings: The results showed that employees who perceive high levels of paradoxical leadership and overwork climate as well as possess a high level of organisational identification engage stronger in job crafting, both approach and avoidance. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the dimensions of culture: individualism-collectivism moderate the relationship between the variables tested, in such a way that the relationship is stronger with the lower level of individualism.

Research limitations/implications: This study has two limitations: its cross-sectional design and the use of self-reported questionnaire data.

Originality/value: The study expands knowledge of the relationship between paradoxical leadership and job crafting in two different cultural contexts.