Exploring the Dark Side of Leadership
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 43
Special Issue Editor
Interests: strategic HRM; diversity; leadership; creativity; workplace justice
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The study of leadership within organizational behavior has traditionally emphasized constructive and motivational aspects. However, a growing body of evidence underscores the significant and often systemic impact of its counterpart: the dark side of leadership. Phenomena such as destructive, exploitative, and unethical leadership not only harm individual well-being but can also erode team cohesion, foster toxic climates, and undermine organizational integrity and performance. This Special Issue, “Exploring the Dark Side of Leadership,” aims to broaden and deepen scholarly inquiry by moving beyond current research in the area of the dark side of leadership (negative leadership). We invite research on such negative leadership styles as abusive supervision, destructive leadership, exploitative leadership, and aversive leadership. We also welcome research on such negative leader traits as leader narcissism, leader Machiavellianism, and leader moral superiority. We welcome (1) review papers (including meta-analysis research) and (2) manuscripts that employ either qualitative or quantitative research methods at any level of analysis (individual level, team level, or organizational level). We are especially interested in studies that use questionnaire‑based surveys conducted at cross-level of analysis. The goal of this Special Issue is to curate a collection that not only expands the theoretical boundaries of negative leadership research but also enhances its practical relevance, thereby fostering a more integrated and impactful dialogue to advance the field.
Prof. Dr. Li-Yun Sun
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- abusive supervision
- destructive leadership
- exploitative leadership
- aversive leadership
- narcissism
- Machiavellianism
- leader moral superiority
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