TOXIC LEADERSHIP AND THE MUM EFFECT: PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AS A MEDIATING MECHANISM IN UPWARD COMMUNICATION SUPPRESSION

Hafiza Marriyam Zulfiqar; Parvasha Memon; Muqaddas Anwar; Ibarat Ali Laghari

doi:10.59075/jsrd.v7i9.661

Authors

Hafiza Marriyam Zulfiqar Professional M.Sc. by Research Psychology, University of Gloucestershire City Campus Gloucestershire, UK.
Parvasha Memon Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Sindh Jamshoro.
Muqaddas Anwar Lecturer, Department of psychology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, KP.
Ibarat Ali Laghari Lecturer / Vice Principal, College of Clinical Psychology, Ziauddin University Sukkur Campus.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59075/jsrd.v7i9.661

Keywords:

Toxic leadership, Psychological safety, Mum effect, Upward communication suppression, Organizational silence, Pakistan

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making a swift impact on the processes of teaching Toxic leadership is one of the most pervasive but understudied threats to organizational communication effectiveness and psychological well-being of the employee. This study investigated the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between toxic leadership and the mum effect – the tendency of employees to retain negative or potential unwanted information from their supervisors. Based on (1999) psychological safety frameworks of Affective Events Theory, Social Learning Theory and Edmondson, a theoretically derived mediation model was tested using a cross-section survey design of purposive sample with 300 employees of (54.7% male; M age range: 31–40 years) from public organizations, private companies and non-governmental organizations located in large Pakistani cities. Three psychometrically validated instruments were administered: the Toxic Leadership Scale (TLS; Schmidt, 2008; α = .91), the Psychological Safety Climate scale (PSC; Edmondson, 1999; α = .88), and the Mum Effect Scale (MES; adapted from Milliken et al., 2003; α = .86). Mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro v4.2 (Hayes, 2022; Model 4) and 5,000 bootstrap resamples showed that toxic leadership was significantly and positively associated with upward-looking communication suppression (β = .54, p < .001) and significant and negatively related to psychological safety (β = −.46, p < .001). Psychological safety was another significant negative projection of the effect of Mom (β = -49, p < .001). The indirect effect of toxic leadership on Mom influence through psychological safety was statistically significant (B = 0.31, 95% of CI [0.20, 0.43]) and supported part mediation model. This modelling of structural equation confirmed model acceptability (CFI = .95, RMSEA = .046). Findings are discussed regarding organizational communication theory, toxic leadership intervention and the cultivation of psychological safe jobs. Practical implications for human resources management, leadership development and organizational policy are identified in Pakistan.