Relationship between Despotic Leadership and Unethical Behaviors: Referent Normative Pathologic Systems Approach _ A Case Study of an Industrial & Productive Company)

Abstract

This research was administered with the aim of investigating the relationship between despotic leadership and unethical behaviors. From statistical population of an industrial company in Isfahan city, 254 people were selected by using simple random sampling. Research instruments were included despotic leadership questionnaire with 6 items, organizational anomie questionnaire with 8 items, job alienation questionnaire with 8 items, perceived normative conflict questionnaire with 5 items, and unethical behaviors questionnaire with 5 items. Data were analyzed using Structure Equation Modeling (SEM). Structural equation modeling revealed that firstly despotic leadership reinforces the organizational anomie, job alienation, and perceived normative conflict, than aroanizational anomie reinforces iob alienation and perceived normative conflict. and finally perceived normative conflict reinforces the unethical behaviors. The results of mediation analysis revealed that the organizational anomie, job alienation, and perceived normative conflict are mediator variables in the relationship between despotic leadership and unethical behaviors.

Keywords

• despotic leadership؛ organizational anomie؛ job alienation؛ perceived normative conflict
• unethical behaviors