Despotic Leadership’s Effect on Workers’ Performance with Anger Rumination’s Mediating Role and Trait Anxiety’s Moderating Role

Abstract

Drawing on Affective theory, the purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between Despotic leadership and Employees’ Performance; we take relational approach by introducing Anger Rumination as a mediator. The moderating role of Trait Anxiety between Despotic Leadership and employees Performance is also considered. Data were collected from employees’ and their supervisors in different project-based organizations from Islamabad Rawalpindi Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the distinctiveness of variables used in the study. The results of the analysis showed that Despotic Leadership enhances Employee’s Performance in the workplace, while Anger Rumination mediates the relationship of Despotic Leadership on Employee’s Performance. This study contributes to the leadership literature; since limited attention was paid to the role of despotic leadership as a predictor of employee’s performance indirectly through Anger rumination and trait anxiety at workplace, in the perspective of Affective Event Theory. Implications of the study are also discussed.