Toxic Leadership and Project Success: Underpinning the Role of Cronyism

Abstract

Project success is the backbone of competitiveness and sustainability. The study aims to examine the role of cronyism in the relationship between toxic leadership and project success while taking information technology projects as the study context. Cross-sectional data (n = 240) was collected through closed-ended survey questionnaires to record the responses of IT project employees. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used for analyzing the collected data. Results revealed a negative relationship between toxic leadership and project success, while cronyism positively and significantly mediated the relationship and converted the negative relationship between TL and PS to a positive relationship.

“Concept of workplace camaraderie: developing and testing an integrated model leading to incivility”

“…In-group favoritism can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including but not limited to preferential treatment, biased decision-making and social exclusion. As the argument goes in the context of SIT (Saleem et al, 2022), members of out-groups may be subject to prejudice and stereotyping (Akhtar et al, 2022): H2. Personal biases and cronyism sequentially mediated the relationship between workplace camaraderie and incivility.…”

“…Connected with the other side of the characteristics of workplace camaraderie, favoritism and cronyism are the practices of showing preference toward certain individuals or groups based on personal relationships rather than on their skills or qualifications (Tytko et al , 2020). First, it creates an unfair advantage for those who have personal relationships with higher-ups or decision-makers, resulting in the exclusion of qualified and deserving employees from opportunities for career advancement, promotions or recognition (Saleem et al , 2022). This can lead to resentment and demotivation among employees, resulting in a toxic work culture (Im and Chen, 2020).…”

“…Second, it can lead to a lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as individuals from certain backgrounds may be excluded from opportunities due to personal biases or favoritism (Chen and Ren, 2023). This can also limit the organization’s ability to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances (Saleem et al , 2022). When employees feel that they are not being treated fairly or equally, it can lead to feelings of resentment and hostility toward colleagues, which can manifest as uncivil behavior (Arici et al , 2020).…”

“…Preferential treatment, slanted decision-making and social exclusion are all manifestations of in-group favoritism. Out-group members may be subject to prejudice and stereotyping, as argued in the context of SIT (Saleem et al , 2022). These prejudices can be strengthened by the shared experiences, beliefs and values that characterize a close-knit group.…”

Exploring Perceptions toward Emotional Intelligence in Chilean Construction Using a Qualitative Approach

“…In this context, multiple authors have discussed that people's capabilities and soft skills can influence the success (or failure) of construction projects [13,14]. For instance, some studies have related capabilities and leadership styles to the results of projects' performances [15][16][17][18]. Thus, it emphasizes the critical role of people in the success of construction projects.…”