Leaders' Authoritarian Behaviors Induce Their Loneliness by Reducing Subordinates' Interest to Affiliate With Them

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240520

Abstract

Abstract: Loneliness is an unpleasant psychological state that occurs when the need for interpersonal relationships is not satisfied. Research has shown that loneliness has negative effects on both the physical and mental health of individuals, such as an increased risk of death and a tendency toward depression. Research on loneliness in the workplace has linked loneliness to poor performance, decreased creativity, and poor decision making. A review of the existing literature reveals that research on workplace loneliness has predominantly focused on employees, with limited attention given to the leader loneliness. Sparse research on leader loneliness primarily emphasizes the effects it has on leaders themselves and employees, with a lack of exploration of the antecedents of leader loneliness.
The possession of power can heighten others' interest to affiliate with. However, we argue that the manner in which power is wielded also influences others' interest to affiliate with. For instance, authoritarian leadership behaviors, characterized by excessive control over subordinates through the reliance on position power, not only fail to increase others' interest to affiliate with, but actually decrease it. Therefore, this paper proposes that authoritarian leadership behaviors suppress subordinates' affiliation to with leaders, which in turn leads to leader loneliness. Furthermore, we propose that the team power distance climate plays a key role in the relationship between authoritarian leadership behaviors and subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders. In a high team power distance climate, the negative effect of authoritarian leadership behaviors on subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders is mitigated, which in turn weakens leader loneliness.
We test our hypotheses through a pilot study, two scenario experiments and a field study. First, the initial pilot study suggested the negative effect of authoritarian leadership behaviors on subordinates' affiliate to with leaders and leader loneliness. Second, the results of the first scenario experiment demonstrated that authoritarian leadership behaviors were negatively related with subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders, and the team power distance climate weakens the negative relationship above. Then, the results of the second scenario experiment further validated the above conclusions, and revealed that authoritarian leadership behaviors increase the leader loneliness by reducing subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders. Additionally, the team power distance climate moderates the mediating effect of authoritarian leadership behaviors on leader loneliness through subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders. Finally, the three-wave self-report survey of leaders confirmed the conclusions drawn from the two scenario experiments, thereby increasing the external validity of this paper.
This paper makes three theoretical contributions. First, we integrate the literature on authoritarian leadership and loneliness, extending the research on the antecedents of leader loneliness. Second, we focus on the impact of authoritarian behaviors on leaders themselves, contributing to the authoritarian leadership literature. Lastly, we emphasize the situational role of the team power distance climate, exploring the boundaries of the impact of authoritarian leadership behaviors on subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders.
This paper also offers two managerial implications. First, leaders should implement authoritarian leadership behaviors with caution. Second, the negative moderating effect of the team power distance climate suggests that leaders should consider the type of team climate in the leadership process.

Key words: authoritarian leadership behaviors, leader loneliness, subordinates' interest to affiliate with leaders, team power distance climate

摘要： 孤独体验已成为职场普遍存在的现象,已有研究大多聚焦员工而较少关注领导群体的孤独感。结合威权领导力和孤独感相关文献,探讨威权领导行为对领导孤独感的影响机制,并探索团队权力距离氛围的调节效应。一项预研究、两项情景实验和一项三时点问卷调查研究发现：威权领导行为负向影响下属亲近意愿,进而引发领导孤独感;团队权力距离氛围削弱威权领导行为对下属亲近意愿的负向效应,并调节威权领导行为通过下属亲近意愿对领导孤独感的中介效应。

关键词: 威权领导行为, 领导孤独感, 下属亲近意愿, 团队权力距离氛围

Cao Wei, Bai Shuyuan. Leaders' Authoritarian Behaviors Induce Their Loneliness by Reducing Subordinates' Interest to Affiliate With Them[J]. Journal of Psychological Science, 2024, 47(5): 1213-1223.

曹伟, 柏淑嫄. 威权领导行为通过降低下属亲近意愿引发领导孤独感^*[J]. 心理科学, 2024, 47(5): 1213-1223.

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