Impact of Despotic and Autocratic Leadership on Employees’ Deviant Behavior, with the Moderation of Perceived Organizational Justice

Abstract

The present study investigates the impact of autocratic and despotic leadership styles on employees’ deviant behavior, with the moderating effect of perceived organizational justice. In the realm of research, there exists significant concern regarding the influence of despotic and autocratic leadership styles on employees' deviant behavior, particularly within service-oriented industries such as banking and educational institutions. Therefore, this study helps to understand how these leadership styles may affect deviant behavior among employees. This study used a quantitative survey-based research methodology, Data was collected from 356 employees of different banks and universities in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Lahore. The findings show a positive and significant effects of autocratic and despotic leadership styles on employees’ deviant behavior. Results also indicate that the relationship between autocratic leadership and employees' deviant behavior is moderated by perceived organizational justice. Future researchers should explore different industries, use multi-source data, and different mediators in the relationship between negative leadership styles and deviant behavior for a diversified sample size.