Authoritarian leadership: Curvilinear relationships with organizational citizenship and organizational deviance

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between authoritarian leadership and OCBS and authoritarian leadership and organizational deviance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered from the responses to a questionnaire survey of 240 employee- supervisor pairs in four manufacturing and three service organizations in Pakistan.

Findings

The results suggest that authoritarian leadership and OCBS do have a curvilinear relationship and moderate levels of authoritarian leadership minimize organizational deviance. A benevolent climate has a positive moderating effect on the curvilinear relationship between authoritarian leadership and OCBS but does not have a moderating effect on the curvilinear relationship between authoritarian leadership and organizational deviance.

Practical implications

Moderate use of authoritarian leadership should be utilized to maximize OCBS and minimize organizational deviance and a climate of benevolence in the workplace should be developed to strengthen bonds and optimize performance.

Originality/value

This paper has an original approach in examining a curvilinear relationship between authoritarian leadership, OCBS and organizational deviance.

Citation

(2020), "Authoritarian leadership: Curvilinear relationships with organizational citizenship and organizational deviance", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-11-2019-0270