Abstract
This study explored the influence of personal values on destructive leader behavior. Student participants completed a managerial assessment center that presented them with ambiguous leadership decisions and problems. Destructive behavior was defined as harming organizational members or striving for short-term gains over long-term organizational goals. Results revealed that individuals with self-enhancement values were more destructive than individuals with self-transcendence values were, with the core values of power (self-enhancement) and universalism (self-transcendence) being most influential. Results also showed that individuals defined and structured leadership problems in a manner that reflected their value systems, which in turn affected the problem solutions they generated.
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Illies, J.J., Reiter-Palmon, R. Responding Destructively in Leadership Situations: The Role of Personal Values and Problem Construction. J Bus Ethics 82, 251–272 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9574-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9574-2