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The Process of Formation and Persistence of Toxic Leadership: A Grounded Theory Discovery Based on Employee Narratives | ||
| School Administration | ||
| مقاله 5، دوره 13، شماره 4، فروردین 2026، صفحه 73-85 اصل مقاله (579.49 K) | ||
| نوع مقاله: Qualitative Research Paper | ||
| شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22034/jsa.2026.145161.2633 | ||
| نویسندگان | ||
| Fatemeh Bagheri1؛ Adel Zahed Babolan* 2؛ Husein Taqavi3؛ Ali Khaleghkhah4 | ||
| 1Ph.D candidate of Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran | ||
| 2Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran | ||
| 3Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran | ||
| 4Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran. | ||
| چکیده | ||
| Despite research on the destructive consequences of toxic leadership, existing studies have predominantly focused on industrial settings and relied on quantitative, outcome-oriented approaches. Consequently, the processes through which toxic leadership emerges and persists within educational organizations, particularly from the perspective of employees’ lived experiences, remain insufficiently theorized. This research was conducted with the aim of addressing this gap. This study adopted a qualitative grounded theory approach following Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) procedures. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 employees and subject-matter experts who had direct experience with toxic leadership. Participants were selected using purposive and theoretical sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis involved open, axial, and selective coding. Trustworthiness was ensured through peer debriefing, member checking, and intra-coder consistency via re-analysis. Findings reveal that toxic leadership is not a static or purely behavioral phenomenon but a dynamic, multi-layered, and context-dependent process. It emerges and is sustained through the interaction of leaders’ motivations and power resources with dysfunctional organizational structures, toxic cultures, and employees’ cognitive–behavioral responses. The analysis generated 359 concepts, 55 components, and 16 core categories, which were integrated into a paradigmatic model encompassing causal, contextual, and intervening conditions, and action/interaction strategies and consequences. This study contributes by conceptualizing toxic leadership as a processual and institutionalized phenomenon embedded in the interplay between leaders, followers, and organizational contexts. The proposed model offers both theoretical advancement and practical insights for preventing, managing, and mitigating toxic leadership. | ||
| کلیدواژهها | ||
| Toxic Leadership؛ Grounded Theory؛ Employees’ Narratives؛ Educational Organizations؛ Paradigmatic Model | ||
| مراجع | ||
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