The challenge of toxic leadership in realising Sustainable Development Goals: A scoping review

Abstract

Orientation: Best human resource management (HRM) practices can play a crucial role in addressing unethical leadership in the form of toxic leadership by fostering organisational cultures where trust, integrity, and accountability are prioritised.

Research purpose: The paper addresses how the HRM function can contribute to eliminating toxic leadership and its associated norms and thereby meet the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 16.

Motivation for the study: The prevalence of toxic leadership and the extent of the detrimental consequences for employees and organisational functioning is a key challenge in realising SDGs 8 and 16.

Research approach/design and method: To conduct the scoping review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and selected databases were searched for peer reviewed empirical articles between 2014 and 2024. Results were summarised and thematically categorised with regard to the objectives of the paper.

Main findings: Ethical leadership behaviours are presented as a key mechanism for offsetting the impact of toxic behaviours of organisational leaders. In order to achieve SDGs 8 and 16, the support and commitment from HRM practitioners are essential.

Practical/managerial implications: Promoting ethical leadership and a conducive work environment demands attention in the following five areas of HRM practice: recruitment and selection; training and development; performance management; employee engagement and wellbeing; and organisational culture.

Contribution/value-add: The review of existing literature on toxic leadership offers a succinct summary of different mechanisms and strategies that can be employed to counter these forms of leadership behaviours in organisations.