Workaholism: “The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership”
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2021
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It has long been recognised that there is a dark side to charismatic/transformational leadership. Such dark-side characteristics are most commonly attributed to undesirable personal motives and behaviours (e.g., narcissism, unethical leadership) of the leader. This research adopts a different perspective by examining if charismatic/transformational leadership might precipitate workaholism among followers, even in the presence of desirable personal characteristics/motives of the leader.
Although many antecedents of workaholism have been examined, including organisational policies and practice, the effects of transformational leadership and its psychological mechanisms (i.e., value congruence, identification) on workaholism among followers has not been considered in previous studies. Drawing on an extensive literature review, particularly the work of Shamir, House and Arthur (1993) in an effort to address identified gaps, a theoretical model was developed. The model proposes that transformational leadership increases value congruence with the leader and the organisation, which then increases identification with the leader and the organisation, which in turn increases work centrality and ultimately leads to workaholism. In addition to the sequential mediation proposed in the model, work centrality was proposed to be another psychological mechanism through which transformational leadership could motivate followers and lead to workaholism.
The research addresses important gaps in the literature on transformational leadership and workaholism by examining whether: (1) transformational leadership is positively related to workaholism among followers; (2) psychological mechanisms (i.e., value congruence, identification) through which transformational leadership operates can result in workaholism among followers; (3) value congruence positively mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and two types of identification (i.e., personal and social); and (4) work centrality positively mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and workaholism.
This study’s results draw attention to the importance of the psychological process of value congruence in shaping how followers form identification with their leaders and organisations and, in the process, establishing counter-productive attitudes and behaviours associated with workaholism. Very high levels of value congruence with leaders or organisations — while often perceived favourably in organisational settings — may be early warning signs that followers are susceptible to the potentially negative consequence, workaholism. The study’s findings raise questions about organisations’ (and leaders’) moral responsibilities to ensure that their efforts to create organisational cultures and/or strong associations between their (transformational) leaders and others in the organisation are managed in ways that might prevent or mitigate some of the less desirable outcomes of transformational/charismatic leadership.
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