Dissertation Proposal Defense by Melanie J. Hitchcock

Location

Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, 141

Cost

0

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOXIC LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP AND TURNOVER BEHAVIORS IN SAN DIEGO NONPROFIT PAID STAFF 

Abstract

     Toxic leaders torment subordinates to the detriment of an organization’s mission and the long-term health and welfare of the people in it. Their behavior redirects employee efforts from mission accomplishment to self-protection and survival behaviors, undermining the organization. With increased need and decreased funding, nonprofit professionals need to innovate to ensure their communities are appropriately and sufficiently sustained. However, to embrace this kind of risk-taking and innovation, employees need supportive leadership. Instead, toxic leadership undermines employees.

     Two measures of organizational success that focus on employee activity are useful because of the unique nature of nonprofit business models. Nonprofits raise funds to do their work, not to distribute profit, so traditional measures of success using bottom line reporting are not sufficient for nonprofit research. These measures of success, turnover and organizational citizenship behaviors, are known to be adversely affected by toxic leadership in the for-profit and government sectors, but the toxic impact to them in the nonprofit sector is not well understood. Moreover, nonprofit professionals have been documented to accept less than ideal working conditions because of their commitment to their organization’s mission.

     This study will explore the relationship between toxic leadership and organizational citizenship and turnover behaviors in San Diego nonprofit paid staff, and consider the influence commitment has on those relationships. The findings of the study are of interest to leaders and managers of nonprofit organizations to develop policies and training processes as they strive to recruit and retain talented employees and volunteers.

**USD graduate students and faculty are welcome free of charge.