Fear of Losing Power and Malevolent Creativity in Organizational Leaders: The Moderating Role of Power as Responsibility

IF 2.8 2区 心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL
Kyriaki Fousiani, Sylvia Y. Xu, Corinna M. Perchtold-Stefan
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Abstract

Leader's fear of power loss may motivate novel antisocial behavior toward employees. In this study, we hypothesized a positive relationship between leader's fear of power loss and leader's engagement in malevolent creativity toward employees (i.e., creativity used for harming employees). We also hypothesized that this relationship is moderated by how leaders' construe power, either as an opportunity or as a responsibility. Study 1, a time-lagged field study, measured fear of power loss and power construal at T1, and malevolent creativity behavior at T2. In Study 2, a time-lagged field experiment measured power construal at T1, manipulated fear of power loss at T2, and assessed leaders' malevolent creativity potential using a performance-based malevolent creativity task. Study 2 further tested the mediating role of leader's anger in the hypothesized relationships. Results largely supported our hypotheses: They highlighted the moderating role of power construed as responsibility in the relationship between fear of power loss and malevolent creativity (Study 1), and the mediating role of leaders' anger (Study 2). Power construed as an opportunity did not moderate the effect of fear of power loss. This research advances our understanding of leadership dynamics and their impact on organizational outcomes from the perspective of dark creativity.

Abstract Image

组织领导者对失去权力的恐惧与恶意创造力:权力作为责任的调节作用
领导者对权力丧失的恐惧可能会激发对员工的新的反社会行为。在本研究中,我们假设领导者对权力丧失的恐惧与领导者对员工的恶意创造力(即用于伤害员工的创造力)之间存在正相关关系。我们还假设,这种关系受到领导者如何将权力视为机会或责任的影响。研究1是一个时间滞后的实地研究,测量了T1时对权力丧失和权力解释的恐惧,以及T2时的恶意创造行为。研究2采用时间滞后的现场实验,测量了被试在第1阶段的权力解释,在第2阶段对权力丧失的恐惧进行了操纵,并通过基于绩效的恶意创造任务评估了被试的恶意创造潜力。研究2进一步检验了领导愤怒在假设关系中的中介作用。结果在很大程度上支持了我们的假设:他们强调了权力在恐惧权力丧失与恶意创造力之间的调节作用(研究1),以及领导者愤怒的中介作用(研究2)。权力被视为机会并不能缓和对权力丧失的恐惧。本研究从黑暗创造力的角度,推进了我们对领导动态及其对组织结果影响的理解。
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来源期刊
Journal of Creative Behavior
Journal of Creative Behavior Arts and Humanities-Visual Arts and Performing Arts
CiteScore
7.50
自引率
7.70%
发文量
44
期刊介绍: The Journal of Creative Behavior is our quarterly academic journal citing the most current research in creative thinking. For nearly four decades JCB has been the benchmark scientific periodical in the field. It provides up to date cutting-edge ideas about creativity in education, psychology, business, arts and more.
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