Intolerable Cruelty: A Multilevel Examination of the Impact of Toxic Leadership on U.S. Military Units and Service Members |
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| Authors: | Jessica A Gallus Benjamin M Walsh Marinus van Driel Melissa C Gouge Emily Antolic |
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| Institution: | 1. United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciencesjessica.gallus@gmail.com;3. Department of Management, University of Illinois at Springield;4. Van Driel Consulting, Satellite Beach, Florida;5. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Consortium Fellows Research Program, George Mason University;6. Department of Psychology, Consortium Fellows Research Program, George Mason University |
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| Abstract: | We examined the effects of toxic leadership on unit and employee outcomes. Based on Bandura’s social learning theory (1977), we predicted that toxic leadership would have a direct impact on unit civility and that unit civility would mediate the relationship between toxic leadership and job satisfaction and organizational commitment. We also predicted that within-unit variability in perceptions of toxic leadership, or toxic leadership congruence, would moderate these effects such that the relationship between toxic leadership and unit and employee outcomes would be stronger when unit members had similar perceptions of their leader’s engagement in toxic behavior. Results indicate that toxic leadership behavior is negatively related to unit civility and that unit civility mediates the relationship between toxic leadership and job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Contrary to expectations, toxic leadership congruence did not moderate any of the effects of toxic leadership behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | toxic leadership climate civility incivility command climate |
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