The Relationship Between Negative Leadership Behaviors and Workplace Deviant Behaviors: Moderated Mediation Examination of Loyalty to Supervisors

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between supervisors’ negative leadership behaviors, subordinates perceived organizational justice, and subordinates’ workplace deviant behaviors and the moderated mediation effect of subordinate loyalty to supervisors. The research contributes to the need for more research on subordinates’ loyalty to supervisors regarding supervisors’ negative leadership behaviors. We focus on the dark or destructive side of leadership. The results of this study show that abusive supervision reduces subordinates’ perception of organizational justice and increases subordinates’ workplace deviant behaviors. This study used a cross-sectional design and administered the questionnaire by collecting self-reports and non-self-reports separately; a multi-group questionnaire method (time/field isolation method) was adopted to avoid the exact origin of data. Supervisors and subordinates were divided into groups to collect sources to reduce the negative impact of common method variance. Supervisors’ communication and coordination methods with subordinates should show respect and consideration of individual needs so that subordinates can reduce their perceptions of unfair treatment due to perceived interaction justice and avoid deviant behaviors. The more subordinates perceive organizational justice, the less workplace deviant behavior they will demonstrate. This research model includes negative leader behaviors’ antecedents (abusive supervision), mediators (perceived organizational justice), moderators (loyalty to supervisors) of negative leadership, and the consequences of subordinates’ workplace deviant behaviors.