IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i6p2824-d514417.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Disengaging Leadership Scale (DLS): Evidence of Initial Validity

Author

Listed:
  • Irina Nikolova

    (Department of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, BI Norwegian Business School, 0484 Oslo, Norway)

  • Marjolein C. J. Caniëls

    (Faculty of Management, Open Universiteit, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands)

  • Wilmar Schaufeli

    (Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Social, Health & Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, 3508 Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Judith H. Semeijn

    (Faculty of Management, Open Universiteit, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands
    Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University, 6229 GT Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to develop a scale for measuring Disengaging Leader-ship (DEL) behaviors and to provide preliminary evidence for the validity of this new instrument. Developing such new measures is needed given current concepts that tap into negative leadership behaviors are rarely based on a sound theoretical framework. Drawing on the core premises of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) regarding employees’ basic needs and, more specifically, building on its more recent extended framework, including employees’ needs frustration, we derived four dimensions that constitute Disengaging Leadership behaviors (coercive disengaging leadership, isolating disengaging leadership, eroding disengaging leadership, and demotivating disengaging leadership). To examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the new Disengaging Leadership Scale (DLS), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and reliability analyses were conducted. Results supported the hypothesized four-factor structure of the DLS and showed that this factorial structure remained invariant across employees occupying blue-collar, white-collar, or managerial positions. Finally, we successfully tested convergent, divergent, and construct validity of DLS. We established that DEL is associated with employees’ needs frustration and with their experiences of emotional exhaustion. It is concluded that the DLS has sound psychometric properties and can be used in future research on the dark side of leadership.

Suggested Citation

  • Irina Nikolova & Marjolein C. J. Caniëls & Wilmar Schaufeli & Judith H. Semeijn, 2021. "Disengaging Leadership Scale (DLS): Evidence of Initial Validity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:2824-:d:514417
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/2824/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/2824/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kanwal Hussain & Zuhair Abbas & Saba Gulzar & Abdul Bashiru Jibril & Altaf Hussain, 2020. "Examining the impact of abusive supervision on employees’ psychological wellbeing and turnover intention: The mediating role of intrinsic motivation," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1818998-181, January.
    2. Nikolova, Irina & Schaufeli, Wilmar & Notelaers, Guy, 2019. "Engaging leader – Engaged employees? A cross-lagged study on employee engagement," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 772-783.
    3. Benjamin W. Hadden & C. Veronica Smith, 2019. "I Gotta Say, Today Was a Good (and Meaningful) Day: Daily Meaning in Life as a Potential Basic Psychological Need," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 185-202, January.
    4. Frank Martela & Richard M. Ryan & Michael F. Steger, 2018. "Meaningfulness as Satisfaction of Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, and Beneficence: Comparing the Four Satisfactions and Positive Affect as Predictors of Meaning in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1261-1282, June.
    5. Christian Thoroughgood & Samuel Hunter & Katina Sawyer, 2011. "Bad Apples, Bad Barrels, and Broken Followers? An Empirical Examination of Contextual Influences on Follower Perceptions and Reactions to Aversive Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(4), pages 647-672, June.
    6. Wilmar B. Schaufeli & Steffie Desart & Hans De Witte, 2020. "Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)—Development, Validity, and Reliability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-21, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vivi Gusrini Rahmadani & Wilmar B. Schaufeli & Jeroen Stouten & Zhenduo Zhang & Zulkarnain Zulkarnain, 2020. "Engaging Leadership and Its Implication for Work Engagement and Job Outcomes at the Individual and Team Level: A Multi-Level Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, January.
    2. Akiomi Inoue & Hisashi Eguchi & Yuko Kachi & Sarven S. McLinton & Maureen F. Dollard & Akizumi Tsutsumi, 2021. "Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the 12-Item Psychosocial Safety Climate Scale (PSC-12J)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Hafiz Ahmad Ashraf & Javed Iqbal & Waqar Munir & Amjad Islam & Farhat Hussain Bazmi, 2023. "Unravelling the Threads of Abusive Supervision: Dynamics, Antecedents, Costs, and Consequences (2000-2023)," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 9(3), pages 52-62, September.
    4. Seon, Youngwoon & Smith-Adcock, Sondra, 2023. "Adolescents’ meaning in life as a resilience factor between bullying victimization and life satisfaction," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    5. Jaana-Piia Mäkiniemi & Atte Oksanen & Anne Mäkikangas, 2021. "Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Roles of Personal, Social and Organizational Resources on Perceived Stress and Exhaustion among Finnish University Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, July.
    6. Nikolova, Milena & Cnossen, Femke, 2020. "What makes work meaningful and why economists should care about it," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    7. Holli-Anne Passmore & Ashley N. Krause, 2023. "The Beyond-Human Natural World: Providing Meaning and Making Meaning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.
    8. Andrea M. Vinueza-Solórzano & Cecilia Alexandra Portalanza-Chavarría & Clarissa P. P. de Freitas & Wilmar B. Schaufeli & Hans De Witte & Claudio S. Hutz & Ana Claudia Souza Vazquez, 2021. "The Ecuadorian Version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT): Adaptation and Validation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, July.
    9. Qian Xu & Zhe Hou & Chao Zhang & Feng Yu & Tong Li, 2022. "Career Capital and Well-Being: A Configurational Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-10, August.
    10. Chunpei Lin & Guanxi Zhao & Chuanpeng Yu & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2019. "Smart City Development and Residents’ Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Leon T. de Beer, 2021. "Is There Utility in Specifying Professional Efficacy as an Outcome of Burnout in the Employee Health Impairment Process," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-9, June.
    12. Natalia Czyżowska & Ewa Gurba, 2021. "Does Reflection on Everyday Events Enhance Meaning in Life and Well-Being among Emerging Adults? Self-Efficacy as Mediator between Meaning in Life and Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    13. Jessica L. Morse & Hyanghee Lee & Shelley A. Haddock & Kimberly L. Henry, 2022. "Meaning in Life Trajectories Among College Students: Differential Effects of a Mentoring Program," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 285-302, January.
    14. Katarzyna Tomaszek & Agnieszka Muchacka-Cymerman, 2021. "Be Aware of Burnout! The Role of Changes in Academic Burnout in Problematic Facebook Usage among University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-16, July.
    15. Sijia Chen & Xiaoru Li & Shengquan Ye, 2024. "Self-concept Clarity and Meaning in Life: A Daily Diary Study in a Collectivistic Culture," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-23, August.
    16. Muhammad Azeem Qureshi & Muhammad Sufyan Ramish & Junaid Ansari & Muhammad Adnan Bashir, 2022. "Leader’s Toxicity at Workplace: How Leader’s Decadence Affect Employees? A Pakistani Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    17. Branko Vermote & Joachim Waterschoot & Sofie Morbée & Jolene Van der Kaap-Deeder & Charlotte Schrooyen & Bart Soenens & Richard Ryan & Maarten Vansteenkiste, 2022. "Do Psychological Needs Play a Role in Times of Uncertainty? Associations with Well-Being During the COVID-19 Crisis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 257-283, January.
    18. Elisabeth Nöhammer, 2022. "Meaning, Needs, and Workplace Spirituality," Merits, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-20, December.
    19. Xiangyu Song & Mishal Khosa & Zeeshan Ahmed & Abdulaziz Fahmi Omar Faqera & Nhat Tan Nguyen & Shafique Ur Rehman & Yueyong He, 2022. "Linking Transformational and Despotic Leadership to Employee Engagement: Unfolding the Role of Psychological Distress as a Mediator," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Brodie C. Dakin & Nicholas P. Tan & Tamlin S. Conner & Brock Bastian, 2022. "The Relationship Between Prosociality, Meaning, and Happiness in Everyday Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2787-2804, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:2824-:d:514417. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.