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Why and how predators pick prey: Followers’ personality and performance as predictors of destructive leadership

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  • Mackey, Jeremy D.

Abstract

Our limited knowledge about destructive leadership has created an incomplete understanding of why destructive leaders target certain followers. I use the perpetrator predation paradigm to explain why destructive leaders prey on certain followers based on features of followers’ personality and performance. Then, I use meta-analytic data to empirically examine the extent to which predatory destructive leaders rely on followers’ personality versus performance, as well as the sub-facets of each. The relative weight results demonstrate that destructive leaders rely more on followers’ performance than personality (i.e., 92.11% of the explained variance versus 7.89%). Further, the results demonstrate that followers’ counterproductive work behaviors directed toward individuals and organizations account for the majority (i.e., 74.83%) of the variance explained by 10 sub-facets of followers’ personality and performance (R2 = 0.19). Overall, I theoretically argue why and empirically demonstrate how destructive leaders use followers’ personality and performance as they prey on certain followers.

Suggested Citation

  • Mackey, Jeremy D., 2021. "Why and how predators pick prey: Followers’ personality and performance as predictors of destructive leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 159-169.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:130:y:2021:i:c:p:159-169
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.002
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