Abstract:

Destructive leadership for long has alarmed management of many organizations. This study examined the relationships between leader’s destructive traits and effectiveness and employees’ outcomes (e.g., work effectiveness, job satisfaction, and job engagement). The participants (N = 802) included 466 women and 336 men from diverse industries and organizations with minimum 5-year job experience. The results indicated that leader’s destructive personality directly predicted employees’ satisfaction. At the same time, the relationship between destructive leader traits, work effectiveness and work satisfaction was mediated by perceived leader effectiveness. Also, leader’s destructive traits - work engagement relationship was sequentially mediated by both, leader effectiveness and employees’ effectiveness, and by leader effectiveness and work satisfaction. Furthermore, this research revealed four subgroups of employees who differ in regards to positive or negative valence in assessment of leader’s destructive traits and employees’ work outcomes. The conclusions from this study contribute to the destructive leadership literature and help to better understand the role of the leader’s destructive traits in shaping work outcomes. Developing employees- and leader-oriented interventions through connecting organizational policies with raising self-awareness among leaders and employees will have positive impact on employees’ welfare and organizational effectiveness.