Linking destructive forms of leadership to employee health

How tyrannical leadership relates to workplace bullying and turnover intention over time: The role of coworker support

INTRODUCTION

In light of the deleterious consequences associated with workplace bullying, it is important to identify the work-related factors that can contribute to the presence of bullying behaviors over time. Up to now, most research on the topic has investigated job characteristics (presence of job demands, absence of job resources) as contributing factors of workplace bullying. Given the key role leadership plays in shaping employees' work environment, this study aims to better understand how harmful forms of leadership relate to bullying behaviors over time and, subsequently, to employee functioning.

METHODS

More specifically, this longitudinal study (two data collections over a 3-month period) conducted among a sample of Canadian employees (T1 n = 600, T2 n = 422) assesses the temporal relationship between tyrannical leadership, exposure to bullying behaviors, and turnover intention, as well as the moderating role of perceived coworker support in the relationship between tyrannical leadership and bullying behaviors.

RESULTS

Results from cross-lagged analyses show that, controlling for baseline effects, T1 tyrannical leadership positively predicts T2 exposure to bullying behaviors and that T1 bullying behaviors positively predict T2 turnover intention. T1 coworker support did not significantly buffer the relationship between T1 tyrannical leadership and T2 exposure to bullying behaviors, although it did significantly predict, negatively so, T2 turnover intention.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides valuable insight into the social contextual determinants of bullying behaviors and highlights the destructive nature of tyrannical leadership. Furthermore, this study illustrates the importance of fostering supportive behaviors between colleagues, as this important social resource can play a key role in reducing turnover intention over time.

A systematic review of the relationships between nurse leaders' leadership styles and nurses' work-related well-being

AIM

This systematic review aimed to summarize current research knowledge about the relationships between nurse leaders' leadership styles and nurses' work-related well-being.

BACKGROUND

Due to the global shortage of nurses, it is essential for nurse leaders to maximize staff retention and work-related well-being.

METHODS

Following Cochrane Collaboration procedures, the PRISMA statement and PRISMA checklist, relevant quantitative studies published between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2020 were retrieved from the CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and Medic databases and then systematically reviewed. Seventeen cross-sectional and follow-up studies with surveys were retained for inclusion and evaluated with the Critical Appraisal of a Survey instrument. The data were summarized narratively.

RESULTS

Three core themes of leadership styles: destructive, supportive and relationally focused, were identified, with statistically significant direct and indirect connections between nurses' work-related well-being. Well-being was mainly assessed in terms of burnout. Effects of leadership styles on work-related well-being were reportedly mediated by trust in leader, trust in organization, empowerment, work-life conflict, relational social capital, emotional exhaustion, affectivity, job satisfaction and motivation.

CONCLUSION

Nurse leaders' leadership styles affect nurses' work-related well-being. In developing intervention studies and providing training on work-related well-being, the impact of the indirect effects and the mediating factors of the leadership styles should be acknowledged.

Dysfunctional leadership: investigating employee experiences with dysfunctional leaders

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of employees who are exposed to dysfunctional behaviors by their leaders in a healthcare organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a qualitative methodology drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews with administrative and clinical employees working in a healthcare setting operating in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Findings

This study’s findings provide insights into dysfunctional leadership phenomena based on employees’ personal experiences with dysfunctional leaders. Dysfunctional leaders have several harmful behaviors, such as behaving in abusive ways, marginalizing others, engaging in favoritism, and degrading employees. This study also demonstrated that the leaders’ negative behavior directly influences employees to leave their jobs, contributes to feelings of alienation at work, reduces their commitment, and frequently creates serious psychological and physical problems. This study also discovered that over time the negative effects of a dysfunctional leader do not stop at employees; it also filters through to other areas such as the organizational environment and family life.

Originality/value

Dysfunctional leadership is under-studied within the context of the Middle Eastern region. Therefore, this study’s findings provide theoretical and practical implications. It provides information about employee experiences and how dysfunctional behavior influences individuals and, ultimately, organizational life. Furthermore, this study has value to practitioners by offering suggestions for organizational interventions for creating more effective policies and programs to support employees’ careers and well-being.

How can leaders help? A mediated moderation influence of leader consideration and structure initiation on employee learning from work failures

Purpose

Encountering work failures is not uncommon for employees. Employee learning from work failures is critical to knowledge management and employee development. This study aims to examine leaders’ role in facilitating employee learning from work failures.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-wave survey featuring full-time employees in China was conducted to test the hypotheses. Linear regression analyses were adopted.

Findings

Leader consideration and leader structure initiation are positively related to employee learning from work failures. Leader structure initiation strengthens the positive relationship between leader consideration and employee learning from work failures. Employee intrinsic motivation mediates the interactive effect of leader consideration and leader structure initiation on employee learning from work failures, such that leader structure initiation strengthens the positive relationship between leader consideration and employee learning from work failures through employee intrinsic motivation.

Originality/value

Despite the importance of employee learning from work failures, little is known about leaders’ role in facilitating such behavior. Whereas leader consideration and structure initiation are distinct and sometimes even competing, this study suggests that they complement each other to exert positive influences on employee learning from work failures. In addition, this study identifies an underlying influence mechanism.

Appetite for Destruction: A Psychometric Examination and Prevalence Estimation of Destructive Leadership in Sweden

There is a growing awareness that destructive leadership has a significant negative impact on employe outcomes. However, little is known about the content and dimensionality of this multidimensional concept, and there are few reliable measures available for organizations and researchers to evaluate these behaviors. Based on a representative sample (N = 1132) of the Swedish workforce, the aim of this study is threefold: first, to examine the factor structure and validity of an easy-to-use multidimensional destructive leadership measure (Destrudo-L)in the general Swedish work context; second, to identify destructive leadership profiles using latent profile analysis (LPA), and determine in what way they are related to employe outcomes; third, to examine the prevalence of destructive leadership using population weights to estimate responses of a population total in the Swedish workforce (N = 3100282). Our analysis supported the structural validity of Destrudo-L, reflecting both a global factor and specific subdimensions. We identified seven unique destructive leadership profiles along a passive and active continuum of destructive leadership behaviors, with the active showing a less favorable relation to employe outcomes. Finally, we found that a substantial proportion of the Swedish workforce report being exposed to destructive leadership (36.4-43.5%, depending on method used). Active destructive leadership was more common in the public sector and passive destructive leadership in the private. Given the potentially severe effects and the commonness of these behaviors, we argue that organizations should work actively with strategies to identify and intervene, to prevent and to handle the manifestation of these harmful behaviors.

Job resources and burnout: Work motivation as a moderator

This longitudinal study (T1 n = 399; T2 n = 279) investigated the moderating role of work motivation in the relationship between job resources (control and recognition) and burnout. Overall, job recognition and control resulted in more burnout for employees with poor-quality work motivation (high controlled or low autonomous motivation). These results suggest that poor-quality motivation renders employees more vulnerable to certain resources in their work environment, as these job characteristics stimulate compensatory behaviours (e.g., overinvesting in one's job to boost one's sense of self-worth or to obtain others' approval), leading to energy depletion over time.