Despotic Leadership and Employee Behavioral Outcomes: Unveiling the Relationship through the Mediation of Psychological Distress

Abstract

Leadership, behavioral outcomes, and employee behavior. The mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between despotic leadership and employee behavioral outcomes was investigated by analyzing data from 380 employees in the banking sector using regression analysis and correlation studies. The findings indicate that despotic leadership is significantly positively correlated with both turnover intention and psychological distress. Conversely, employee deviant behavior was negatively correlated with both despotic leadership and psychological distress. The results of the current study disclosed that psychological distress serves as a mediator in the relationship between despotic leadership and employee behavioral outcomes. In conclusion, this investigation underscores the detrimental effects of despotic leadership on the overall performance of organizations and the well-being of employees. It emphasizes the importance of fostering leadership styles that are empowering and beneficial in the workplace. However, the investigation acknowledges the limitations of its numerical methodology and suggests additional research directions.