Toxic Organizational Cultures and Leadership

6 Susceptible Followers

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330387-9

6.1 Introduction

Toxic leadership and toxic workplace cultures are major risks to organizational performance and to the welfare of employees in the workplace and broader society. Toxic workplace cultures cost an estimated $223bn over the five years prior to 2019.¹ While it is important to better understand toxic leadership and how to spot it in organizations, there is also a need to look at the broader context and the range of stakeholders involved. Books on toxic leadership are quick to focus on destructive leadership behaviours and the consequences they have for organizations and their cultures. However, recently more attention has been paid to the role of other parties, specifically ...