Effects of Gender and Destructive Leader Behaviors on Leader’s Evaluation

Abstract

Destructive leadership is beginning to be studied, but the current literature relies on examples of male leaders. While literature on positive leader behaviors shows a bias towards male leaders, little research looks at gender effects when leaders exhibit destructive behaviors. Using Hogan’s model with three categories of destructive leader behaviors (DLBs), the current study investigated how participants would evaluate male and female leaders exhibiting the same DLBs. Male leaders were hypothesized to get more favorable evaluations in all three DLB categories. Results showed that gender stereotypes played a role in how individuals rated leaders unless the exhibited leader behaviors were avoidant. When DLBs reflected emotion-focused coping, a male leader was at a disadvantage. On the other hand, when DLBs resembled active coping, a female leader received lower ratings. The current study’s findings, therefore, provided evidence for gender stereotypes being relevant even when leaders were destructive. Future research directions are discussed.