Relationship between Toxic Leadership and Job Related Affective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Job Stress

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between toxic leadership and the job-related affective well-being of workers with the mediating role of job stress. Research population consisted of knowledge workers in knowledge-based organizations, 213 of whom were selected and filled in the Job-Related Affective Well-being Scale (JAWS) (Van Katwyk, Fox, Spector, & Kelloway, 2000), Measures of Job Stressors and Strains (MJSS) (Spector & Jex, 1998), and Toxic Leadership Scale (TLS) (Schmidt, 2014). Data were analyzed through correlation and path analyses. Results showed the significant direct and indirect effects of toxic leadership, quantitative workload, organizational constraints, and interpersonal conflicts on job-related affective well-being. Four variables (interpersonal conflicts, organizational constraints, quantitative workload, and toxic leadership) accounted for 13% of the variance of job-related affective well-being. Moreover, results of the fit of the model revealed a direct significant effect of toxic leadership on interpersonal conflicts where it accounted for 12% of the variance of interpersonal conflicts. In addition, accounting for 9% of the variance of quantitative workload, toxic leadership was demonstrated to have a direct significant effect on quantitative workload. Results also indicated a direct significant effect of toxic leadership on organizational constraints where it accounted for 11% of the variance of organizational constraints. Finally, the necessity of paying attention to organizational management styles was discussed.