Psychopathy and Unethical Leader Behaviour: An Exploration of the Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement

Busscher, Joëlle (2022) Psychopathy and Unethical Leader Behaviour: An Exploration of the Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Unethical leader behaviour (ULB) is described as oppressive and exploitative and has been shown to have detrimental organisation-wide effects. Given the wide range of negative consequences associated with ULB, it is important to understand the factors that precede it. Whereas previous research has positively linked leader psychopathy to ULB, the mechanisms that underlie this relationship remain unclear. Based on previous theorising, we argued that leader psychopathy should be positively related to ULB, and that moral disengagement would mediate this relationship. We tested our model in a sample of 156 dyads of Dutch supervisor- subordinate pairs and included the other two Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism and narcissism) as control variables. As predicted, we found leader psychopathy to be positively related to both moral disengagement and unethical leader behaviour. However, we did not find support for our full mediation model. Moreover, the association between leader psychopathy and ULB disappeared after controlling for Machiavellianism and narcissism. As the understanding of precursors of unethical leader behaviour is relevant for further research directions, as well as for the development of organisational policies and interventions for leader selection and management, we conclude that future research might benefit from further investigating which personal and environmental factors underlie ULB.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Rus, D.C.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	04 Jul 2022 06:31
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2022 06:31
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/693

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