Why do leaders engage in destructive behaviours? The role of leaders’ working environment and stress

Abstract

Complementing previous research on antecedents of destructive leadership, we examined the role of work stressors in the emergence of active and passive destructive leadership behaviours. Building on conservation of resources theory, we examined direct and indirect relations between leaders' perceptions of workload, role ambiguity and intragroup conflict on ratings of their own destructive leadership, as well as mediating paths through perceived stress. We used a two-wave survey design consisting of a random sample of 1311 managers. Structural equation modelling revealed that work stressors were only related to passive forms of destructive leadership, whereas personality was related to both active and passive forms of destructive leadership. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Cost of organizational citizenship behaviors: serial mediation model of citizenship fatigue

“…These findings are in line with those of De Clercq et al (2021). To elaborate more, when nurses are asked to engage in compulsory citizenship involuntarily, it results in OCB, while in the long run, it results in work–family conflict (Dongrey and Rokade, 2023; Tafvelin et al , 2023). Besides, when individuals encounter work–family conflict as a result of extra roles, it manifests as weariness and exhaustion (Ekowati et al , 2023).…”

“…Excessive employee engagement at work may be beneficial for organizations in completing tasks and achieving their citizenship goals (Zampetakis and Lanivich, 2023). However, extra work that does not result in compensation can make employees feel that their expectations are inconsistent with reality and lead to conflict (Tafvelin et al, 2023). Therefore, this paper proposes that: H7.…”

One down, fifty to go: managers’ perceptions of their workload and how they cope with it to maintain their psychological health

“…In other words, the demands placed on managers’ shoulders should not prevent them from fulfilling their managerial duties, which can be broadly categorized into two main categories: task direction and psychological support. Tafvelin et al (2023) reported that a higher workload was significantly associated with more passive/cowardly leadership behaviors. In our study, we found that the components of leadership responsibilities such as task direction and psychological support, as proposed by Katz and Kahn (1978) and Lanaj and Jennings (2020) , contributed to the perceived heaviness of the manager’s workload.…”

Strukturella, organisatoriska och individuella förutsättningar för ett hållbart chefskap

“…Men det är inte bara de negativa aspekterna som smittar av sig, utan även chefens engagemang verkar spridas till resten av organisationen (Schaufeli & Salanova, 2007). Ledarskapet påverkar således även medarbetarnas välbefinnande och prestation (Tafvelin, Lundmark & Stenling, 2022). Trots att första linjens chefer har en central och komplex roll i organisationer, har forskningen sällan fokuserat på deras organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljö (Edvik & Muhonen, 2022).…”