Abstract:

Destructive leadership behaviors cause insecurity in the relationships between employees and managers in business life and can lead to various organizational problems. This study's main purpose is to determine whether "organizational cynicism" functions as a mediator in the effect of destructive leadership behaviors on organizational deviation. The research is designed according to the quantitative research method. Research data were collected from an enterprise operating in the Konya food production sector (n = 283) using the full count sampling technique. Descriptive analysis, difference, and relationship tests were carried out in the research. According to the findings obtained from the research data analysis, the positive effects of destructive leadership behavior on organizational deviation and organizational cynicism were determined. It has been determined that organizational cynicism has a mediating role in the effect of destructive leadership on the organizational deviation. As a result, destructive leadership behavior triggers negative behaviors towards employees in the organization as a negative behavior. It can be seen that the perceptions of organizational deviation and cynicism increase in the employees as the negativity come from the manager.

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