Investigating the Impact of Toxic Leadership and Bureaucratic Structures on Counterproductive Behavior Using a Mixed-Methods Approach
Keywords:
Toxic leadership, Bureaucratic structures, Counterproductive behaviors, Ports and Maritime Organization, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the impact of toxic leadership and bureaucratic structures on counterproductive behaviors within the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran. The research is classified as applied research and, methodologically, is a descriptive-survey study implemented using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) through library and field methods (researcher-made questionnaire). The population consisted of employees and managers, with 384 individuals selected as the sample from 19 significant ports across the country using Cochran's formula and cluster sampling. The research instrument was developed after reviewing 76 valid articles and coding 32 of them through textual content analysis. Its validity was confirmed by 16 experts, comprising managers and professors from major ports with management experience and publications in the field. The reliability of the questionnaire was established with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.852. Data analysis, conducted using SPSS and SMART-PLS software, confirmed all research hypotheses. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of counterproductive behaviors on toxic leadership (path coefficient = 0.638, T = 6.387) and a stronger impact of bureaucratic structures on toxic leadership (path coefficient = 0.830, T = 10.852). Additionally, bureaucratic structures positively influenced counterproductive behaviors (path coefficient = 0.460, T = 4.611), with the Sobel test (4.244) confirming the mediating role of this variable. The results indicate that improving organizational structures and reducing counterproductive behaviors can effectively mitigate toxic leadership. These findings are applicable to port and shipping managers for reforming bureaucratic structures and enhancing leadership styles.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Davood Kiakojouri; Yasaman Charyani Zanjani (Author)
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