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Destructive Leadership and the Penn State Scandal: A Toxic Triangle Perspective

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  • Thoroughgood, Christian N.
  • Padilla, Art

Abstract

Alderfer's (2013) piece on the Sandusky/Penn State tragedy reminds us that leader-centric analyses, the norm in leadership studies, often miss the mark. Alderfer joins a growing list of writers who increasingly recognize that leadership consists of three key elements in a triangle: leaders, followers, and environments. The Penn State scandal highlights how a conducive environment, typified by centralized power and an absence of checks and balances, coupled with flawed leaders and the actual assistance or quiet submission of certain followers, can lead to disastrous outcomes. As Alderfer observes, leadership is a social, or group, process. Leadership success or failure depends on group results, and group results involve more than just leaders and their characteristics and actions. Yet, over three-quarters of articles in scholarly journals consistently overlook the role of organizational environments and followers (Porter & McLaughlin, 2006), focusing instead on leader traits and behaviors (Kaiser, Hogan, & Craig, 2008; Thoroughgood, Padilla, Hunter, & Tate, 2012).

Suggested Citation

  • Thoroughgood, Christian N. & Padilla, Art, 2013. "Destructive Leadership and the Penn State Scandal: A Toxic Triangle Perspective," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(2), pages 144-149, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:inorps:v:6:y:2013:i:02:p:144-149_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Mackey, Jeremy D. & Parker Ellen, B. & McAllister, Charn P. & Alexander, Katherine C., 2021. "The dark side of leadership: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of destructive leadership research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 705-718.
    2. Thomas Roulet, 2015. "“What Good is Wall Street?” Institutional Contradiction and the Diffusion of the Stigma over the Finance Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 389-402, August.
    3. Christopher M. Castille & John E. Buckner & Christian N. Thoroughgood, 2018. "Prosocial Citizens Without a Moral Compass? Examining the Relationship Between Machiavellianism and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(4), pages 919-930, June.

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