The Influence of Despotic Leadership on Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Role of Follower’s Dispositional Characteristics

Public sector organizations are considered to be more vulnerable to exhibit bad management practices in Pakistan due to despotic leadership styles. This study investigates the link among despotic leaders and the counter productive work behavior of followers. The study examines the emotional attitude as the outcome of despotic leadership and predictor of deviant behavior in a parallel manner and psychological capital as boundary condition that mitigate the indirect relationship of despotic leadership and the counter productive work behaviors. Data was gathered through two-wave research design from 326 employees of Pakistan’s public sector organizations through questionnaire and Google forms. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine relationships, such as mediations and moderation effects between the contextual variables. The results established that the followers of despotic leadership felt disgusted, frustrated, and behaved deviant in the organization. Moreover, we found psychological capital behavior as moderator in the relationship. Authoritative behaviors, poor communications, unethical conducts and deprived managerial skills produce emotionally exhausted followers. The study suggests formal training of leaders and followers concurrently. Based on Social exchange theory, this research might be the foremost study that has examined the emotional attitudes and in parallel, underlying mechanism to explain leader-follower give-and-take relations. Moreover, psychological capital as an important key personal resource that mitigate this relationship theoretically by integrating conversion of resources theory.