Date of Conferral

5-16-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Thomas Butkiewicz

Abstract

The prevalence of toxic leadership across various sectors like healthcare, the military, corporations, and educational institutions presents a significant challenge, undermining organizational culture and employee well-being, leading to increased turnover and reduced performance. Guided by the toxic triangle as the conceptual framework, this qualitative Delphi study’s purpose involved leadership experts from across the United States to reach a consensus on organizational strategies for identifying, managing, and mitigating organizational toxicity. The research questions were focused on determining the most suitable strategies for recognizing toxicity in the organization and addressing it effectively. A panel of 30 leadership experts from across the United States, recruited through Prolific, were selected based on their educational and professional experience and completed four iterative rounds of questionnaires. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings indicated a multifaceted approach to combat toxic leadership, highlighting the importance of implementing organizational strategies that prioritize identifying and removing toxic leaders, investing in continuous leadership development, and building cultures that value open communication and ethical leadership practices. A key recommendation is for organizational leaders to realize the importance of applying this study’s actionable strategies that might continually improve employee welfare and workplace performance. The implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to address toxic leadership behaviors, mitigate organizational toxicity, and foster healthy cultures that enhance employee well-being and societal norms for sustainable success in an ever-evolving business landscape.

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