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Psychological research

Destructive Leadership and Organizational Commitment: A Bi-Directional Relationship

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have shed light on the complex dynamics between destructive leadership and organizational commitment, finding that these two phenomena are intricately linked. Over 18 months, a survey of employees in local government organizations in a Swedish municipality revealed that destructive leadership can have a profound impact on organizational commitment, and conversely, uncommitted employees can exacerbate destructive leadership behaviors.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found a significant negative relationship between initial levels of destructive leadership and change in organizational commitment (β = -0.66).
  • Initial levels of organizational commitment also predicted later change in destructive leadership (β = -0.47).
  • Changes in destructive leadership were associated with simultaneous changes in organizational commitment.
  • The study suggests that managers are negatively affected by uncommitted employees, which can lead to further destructive leadership behaviors.
  • The research highlights the importance of addressing destructive leadership in organizations to promote a positive work environment and enhance organizational commitment.
  • The study also emphasizes the need for employees to be committed to their work to mitigate the negative effects of destructive leadership.
  • The research was conducted over a period of 18 months and involved 582 employees from local government organizations in a Swedish municipality.
  • The Destructive Leadership Scale and the Commitment to the Workplace scale were used to measure destructive leadership and organizational commitment, respectively.
  • A second-order parallel-process latent growth curve model was used to analyze the relationship between destructive leadership and organizational commitment.

Statistics:

  • 582 employees from local government organizations in a Swedish municipality participated in the study over a period of 18 months.
  • The study found a significant negative relationship between initial levels of destructive leadership and change in organizational commitment (β = -0.66).
  • Initial levels of organizational commitment predicted later change in destructive leadership (β = -0.47).
  • 18 months was the duration of the study.

Sources:

  • The bidirectional relationship between destructive leadership and organizational commitment. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025;16:1653061.
  • Frontiers in Psychology can be contacted at: Frontiers Media Sa, Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland.
  • Martin Grill, Dept. of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

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