Table_1_Appetite for Destruction: A Psychometric Examination and Prevalence Estimation of Destructive Leadership in Sweden.DOCX

There is a growing awareness that destructive leadership has a significant negative impact on employe outcomes. However, little is known about the content and dimensionality of this multidimensional concept, and there are few reliable measures available for organizations and researchers to evaluate these behaviors. Based on a representative sample (N = 1132) of the Swedish workforce, the aim of this study is threefold: first, to examine the factor structure and validity of an easy-to-use multidimensional destructive leadership measure (Destrudo-L)in the general Swedish work context; second, to identify destructive leadership profiles using latent profile analysis (LPA), and determine in what way they are related to employe outcomes; third, to examine the prevalence of destructive leadership using population weights to estimate responses of a population total in the Swedish workforce (N = 3100282). Our analysis supported the structural validity of Destrudo-L, reflecting both a global factor and specific subdimensions. We identified seven unique destructive leadership profiles along a passive and active continuum of destructive leadership behaviors, with the active showing a less favorable relation to employe outcomes. Finally, we found that a substantial proportion of the Swedish workforce report being exposed to destructive leadership (36.4–43.5%, depending on method used). Active destructive leadership was more common in the public sector and passive destructive leadership in the private. Given the potentially severe effects and the commonness of these behaviors, we argue that organizations should work actively with strategies to identify and intervene, to prevent and to handle the manifestation of these harmful behaviors.

学界与业界日益达成共识：破坏性领导（destructive leadership）对员工结果存在显著负面影响。然而，针对这一多维度构念的内涵与维度结构，目前学界仍知之甚少，可供组织与研究者用以评估此类行为的可靠测量工具也寥寥无几。本研究以瑞典劳动力群体的代表性样本（N=1132）为基础，旨在达成三重研究目标：其一，在瑞典整体职场情境下，检验一款易于使用的多维度破坏性领导行为测量工具——Destrudo-L的因子结构与效度；其二，采用潜在剖面分析（LPA）识别破坏性领导行为画像，并明确其与员工结果的关联模式；其三，借助人口加权法估算瑞典劳动力总体（N=3100282）的应答情况，以此考察破坏性领导行为的发生比例。本研究的分析结果证实了Destrudo-L的结构效度，该工具既包含整体通用因子，也涵盖特定子维度。我们基于破坏性领导行为的被动-主动连续谱系，识别出7种独特的破坏性领导行为画像，其中主动型破坏性领导与员工结果的关联更为负面。最终，我们发现瑞典劳动力群体中有相当比例的受访者表示曾遭遇破坏性领导行为（占比36.4%~43.5%，具体数值因测算方法而异）。主动型破坏性领导行为在公共部门更为常见，而被动型则更多出现于私营部门。鉴于此类行为潜在的严重危害与较高的发生率，我们认为组织应积极制定相关策略，以识别、干预、防范并管控此类有害领导行为的表现。