Toward Proper Specification of the Effects of Leader Punitive Behavior: A Research Note

Abstract

Two samples totaling 457 nursing department employees from four metropolitan hospitals were employed to test the impact of leader punitive behavior on employee satisfaction. With the correlated effect of leader reward behavior statistically controlled for, there remained neither the direct positive effect of leader punitive behavior nor the moderating impact of role ambiguity, which have been suggested by previous research. Also discussed are the importance of considering spuriousness in leader punitive behavior research, some possible explanationsfor the positive relationship between the two dimensions of leader behavior, and some suggested conditions under which punishment may be satisfying to an employee.