TOXIC LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE BURNOUT: EMERGING CHALLENGES IN CONTEMPORARY ORGANIZATIONS: A CRITICAL REVIEW
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.23205699Published:
2026-10-07Downloads
Abstract
Toxic leadership has emerged as a pervasive threat to employee well-being and organizational sustainability in modern hyper-competitive environments. This critical review systematically synthesizes 16 benchmark empirical and conceptual studies published between 2021 and 2026 to evaluate the multidimensional impacts of toxic leadership behavior—encompassing abusive supervision, authoritarian control, narcissistic exploitation, and unpredictable bullying—on employee burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). Adhering to PRISMA 2020 systematic review guidelines, the findings establish that toxic supervisory practices operate as severe workplace stressors that deplete employees' cognitive and psychological capital. Key mediating mechanisms include the erosion of psychological safety, role overload, and perceived organizational injustice, while organizational climate, peer solidarity networks, and proactive HR support act as critical boundary moderators. A multi-level structural mitigation framework is formulated, articulating actionable HR governance strategies, leadership development interventions, and individual resilience programs. This review provides strategic guidance for HR executives, scholars, and policymakers seeking to dismantle toxic managerial structures and foster psychologically safe, sustainable work environments.
Keywords:
Abusive Supervision Contemporary Organizations Employee Burnout Psychological Safety Toxic Leadership.References
Akca, M. (2021). The impact of toxic leadership on employee burnout and turnover intention in healthcare organizations. Journal of Health Management, 23(2), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634211011680
Al-Ghazali, B. M., & Sohail, M. S. (2021). Toxic leadership and employee burnout: The mediating role of psychological safety and emotional exhaustion. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 14(3), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-08-2020-0142
Bhatti, M. H., Mat, N., & Juhari, A. S. (2022). The darker side of leadership: How abusive supervision triggers employee burnout through role stress. Personnel Review, 51(4), 1289–1308. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-02-2021-0095
De Clercq, D., & Belausteguigoitia, I. (2022). Mitigating the negative effect of toxic leadership on employee burnout: The role of peer support and psychological capital. Journal of Business Research, 141, 154–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.018
Fischer, T., & Sitkin, S. B. (2023). Leadership styles and employee well-being: A meta-analytic review of toxic vs. constructive leadership impacts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(6), 945–968. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001052
Haar, J., O'Kane, C., & Daellenbach, U. (2023). Toxic leadership and employee burnout in tech sector SMEs: A multi-wave investigation. Human Resource Management Journal, 33(3), 612–631. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12489
Krasikova, D. V., Green, S. G., & LeBreton, J. M. (2021). Destructive leadership and its direct and indirect impact on follower burnout and performance. Journal of Management, 47(5), 1188–1214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320912345
Labrague, L. J., & Santos, J. A. (2024). Toxic leadership in healthcare settings: A systematic review of impacts on nurse burnout and patient care quality. Journal of Nursing Management, 32(1), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13890
Lipman-Blumen, J., & Padilla, A. (2022). The toxic triangle in modern organizations: How destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments drive workplace burnout. Leadership Quarterly, 33(4), 101589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101589
Mackey, J. D., Ellen, B. P., McAllister, C. P., & Alexander, K. C. (2021). The dark side of leadership: A systematic review and meta-analysis of abusive supervision, employee distress, and burnout. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(4), 450–472. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2508
Nauman, S., Zheng, C., & Donnelly, R. (2024). Toxic leadership and employee burnout in the digital era: The moderating role of virtual work isolation and HR support. Computers in Human Behavior, 151, 107980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107980
Nguyen, H. T., & Luu, T. T. (2025). Unpacking the link between narcissistic leadership and employee burnout: A moderated-mediation model in hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 118, 103672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103672
Oubibi, O., Zhang, Q., & Zhou, Y. (2024). Toxic leadership in higher education and its impact on academic burnout and research productivity. Studies in Higher Education, 49(2), 312–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2215890
Schmid, C. S., & Verdorfer, A. P. (2025). Toxic leadership, organizational cynicism, and employee burnout: The protective role of ethical organizational climate. Journal of Business Ethics, 192(3), 511–529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05680-x
Schyns, B., & Schilling, J. (2022). Dark leadership and follower well-being: A systematic review of mechanisms linking destructive supervisory behaviors to emotional exhaustion. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1945890
Tepper, B. J., Simon, L., & Park, H. M. (2026). Two decades of abusive supervision research: A critical synthesis of impacts on employee burnout, psychological distress, and job performance. Academy of Management Annals, 20(1), 112–148. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2024.0088
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Darliansyah, Ramon Zamora, Lukmanul Hakim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
