Toxic leadership: emotional distress and coping strategy

Abstract

This paper aims to elucidate the distressing impact of toxic leadership on mental state of the subordinates and to examine the unique coping mechanisms used by them to deal with such leaders. The study also examined the relationship between psychological distress and coping strategy used by subordinates to deal with the toxic leader. This study presents a validity testing of two scales. The first scale was designed to measure experienced psychological distress emanating from exposure to toxic leaders; and second scale aims to assess the coping strategies utilized by subordinates to deal with the toxic leaders. Data was collected from 570 employees working in public as well as private organizations in India. Results supported the theorized two three-dimensional tools to measure: a) psychological distress (loss of self-worth, withdrawal and agitated); and b) coping strategies to deal with toxic leaders (assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping). Reliability estimates and construct validity of both the tools were established. Results also suggest that loss of self-worth was negatively related with assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping. However, withdrawal was positively related with assertive coping and avoidance coping. Lastly, agitation was positively related with avoidance and adaptive coping. To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the rare studies to examine together the phenomenon of both psychological distress experienced by subordinates, as well as the coping strategies utilized by them to deal with toxic leaders.