An integrative model of the association between leadership styles and employee's self-handicapping behavior

Abstract

Self-handicapping is a strategy that provides individuals with justifications for the externalization of failure. Although rarely investigated, external factors are assumed to be influential in the emergence of self-handicapping. Utilizing trait activation theory, this study aims to understand the association of leadership styles with employees' self-handicapping and how this process is mediated by fear of failure and moderated by socially prescribed perfectionism. Data were collected from 210 individuals aged 20-67. The results indicated that self-handicapping behavior was negatively associated with transformational and positively associated with abusive supervision with the significant mediator role of fear of failure. Socially prescribed perfectionism has also appeared to be a significant moderator only in the relationship between transformational leadership and fear of failure.