The susceptible circle: A taxonomy of followers associated with destructive leadership

While leadership scholars increasingly acknowledge the influence of followers in the leadership process, less attention has been paid to their role in the destructive leadership process. Specifically, the current debate lacks a broad-based understanding of different susceptible follower types that s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Leadership quarterly 2012-10, Vol.23 (5), p.897-917
Main Authors: Thoroughgood, Christian N., Padilla, Art, Hunter, Samuel T., Tate, Brian W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Destructive leadership
Followership
Leadership
Management styles
Occupational psychology
Scholarly publishing
Studies
Susceptible followers
Taxonomy
Toxic leadership
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Summary:While leadership scholars increasingly acknowledge the influence of followers in the leadership process, less attention has been paid to their role in the destructive leadership process. Specifically, the current debate lacks a broad-based understanding of different susceptible follower types that synthesizes related research across academic domains. Expanding on Padilla, Hogan, and Kaiser's (2007) toxic triangle model of destructive leadership, we integrate research and theory across various academic literatures to derive a cohesive taxonomy of vulnerable followers that we call the susceptible circle. We describe the core characteristics of each follower type, drawing on Barbuto's (2000) theory of follower compliance to highlight the psychological processes that motivate each follower to comply with destructive leaders. We then conclude by discussing theoretical and practical implications, as well as avenues for future research.
ISSN:1048-9843
1873-3409
DOI:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.05.007