New research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reveals that people's worldviews significantly influence how they perceive antagonistic leadership behavior. Columbia Business School's Daniel Ames, PhD, and doctoral student Christine Nguyen studied over 2,000 participants and found that individuals who view society as a competitive "jungle" are more likely to see mean, forceful leaders as competent and effective.
Those with stronger competitive beliefs rated antagonistic managers more favorably and considered confrontational tactics more impactful than collaborative approaches. The research uncovered a self-reinforcing cycle: employees with competitive worldviews are more likely to choose and remain with antagonistic managers, creating supportive environments for such leaders. This finding helps explain how antagonistic leaders attain and maintain power despite creating workplace tension.
