Destructive Leaders

The main contribution of this study regards the identification of negative consequences of destructive leadership on behavioural innovation. Since the capability to innovate influences the long-term competitiveness of organisations, such results show that destructive leadership can damage the organisation's competitive position. The results show that destructive leadership affects the ethical climate in general and a caring climate favorably influences behavioural innovation. Climate is an important antecedent to behavioural innovation. The literature supports the positive relevancy of a caring climate for several outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and organizational innovation) and this study specifically adds to it by presenting the caring climate as a suppressor of the destructive leadership effects. Such an effect serves organisational competitiveness.

The study findings are two folded, both for academics and practitioners. Academia can benefit from the research outcomes. Although several previous studies have examined the impact of leadership styles on innovation, this study addresses the consequences of destructive leadership on innovation in Portuguese firms from different sectors. The study further explores the mediating effect of the caring climate in the relationship, enlarging the knowledge on destructive leadership. Practical implications apply to recruitment, training and development of leaders. Organisations should avoid hiring destructive leaders and should develop training programmes for making leaders more aware of the effects of their behaviour on innovation. A better understanding of the nature and consequences of destructive leadership could well enable organisations to identify this type of behavior, and to thus intervene as early as possible.