Abuse of power: Understanding the significant long-term impact of abusive leadership

Abstract

Purpose

Is the portrayal of business leaders on TV and film truly representative of the workplaces we all visit on a day-to-day basis? The essence of drama is conflict, and as such any fictional account of the workplace has to create some tension from somewhere. This can be between competing employees or teams fighting against the odds against some external force, but often there is a conflict portrayed between the boss and the employees, and there would be little dramatic tension if the CEO was a calm, considerate and generous soul who showered his employees with pay rises three times a year.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Is the portrayal of business leaders on TV and film truly representative of the workplaces we all visit on a day-to-day basis? The essence of drama is conflict, and as such any fictional account of the workplace has to create some tension from somewhere. This can be between competing employees or teams fighting against the odds against some external force, but often there is a conflict portrayed between the boss and the employees, and there would be little dramatic tension if the CEO was a calm, considerate and generous soul who showered his employees with pay rises three times a year.

Originality/value

10;The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Citation

(2020), "Abuse of power: Understanding the significant long-term impact of abusive leadership", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 49-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-05-2020-0105