International Journal of Research in Social Sciences
Vol. 7 Issue 3, March 2017,
ISSN: 2249-2496 Impact Factor: 7.081
Journal Homepage: http://www.ijmra.us , Email: editorijmie@gmail.com
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336
International Journal of Research in Social Sciences
http://www.ijmra.us , Email: editorijmie@gmail.com
An Exploratory Study On TOXIC Leadership
and Its Impact on Organisation; A Leadership
Perspective
Prof Dr.C.Karthikeyan
*
Abstract
Toxic leadership (Marcia Whicker 1996) which was linked with a number of dysfunctional
leadership styles can produce negativity in an organisation and induces toxic culture with
employees having only two options: conform to the rules or leave the organisaton. The word
“toxic” comes from the Greek “toxikon” which means “arrow poison”. In a literal sense, the
term in its original form thus means to kill (poison) in a targeted way (arrow). Toxic
organisations and leaders therefore are those who deliberately destroy the fabric of the
institution. Any employee staying in the toxic style will mostly be in the loosing end of their
career and usually gets disappointed believing that the situation will change, or moonlight(trying
for better opportunity while working in one organisatino) secretly for a better career. Others, start
accepting the toxic leadership as normal and faces unusual stresses. The organisation will die a
slow death as it radiates depressed workforce. It usually looks like a termite-infested house, the
organization crumbles from within mostly without the knowledge of the very fellow workers
inside the organisation.
Key Words; Toxic Leader, Traits, Toxic Boss, Cold Fish, Glory Seeker, Traits, Bad
Leadership, Moonlighting, Stress
*
Director-ASB, Adithya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore