In service-oriented organizations such as the police, negative leadership practices can create toxic workplace cultures that harm internal relationships and erode public trust. The issue is not confined to one country—citizens across the world continue to face the dual problem of intimidating behaviours (excessive use of force) and ingratiatory behaviours (unhealthy compliance or alignment with authority) in policing. While research has addressed destructive leadership, the psychological processes linking such leadership to these problematic behaviours remain insufficiently understood. The present study examined how despotic leadership and organizational cynicism together shape intimidating and ingratiatory behaviours among police officers. Data were gathered from 235 officers in Rajasthan, India, with an average age of 36 years and at least three years of service experience. Statistical analyses revealed that despotic leadership was strongly associated with both intimidating and ingratiatory behaviours. More importantly, organizational cynicism was found to significantly correlate with and causally contribute to these behaviours, suggesting that it operates as a crucial mechanism that connects poor leadership to harmful behavioural outcomes, creating a vicious cycle. These findings extend beyond a single organizational or national context. They provide significant insights into the global challenge of police use of force and ingratiatory conduct, underscoring the need for reform efforts that prioritize leadership development, ethics training, and organizational trust-building. By addressing leadership practices and organizational cynicism, police forces can reduce dysfunctional behaviours, strengthen internal cohesion, and enhance their credibility as professional institutions dedicated to serving society.

Authors:
Abhishek Sharma, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, India
Ekta Yaduvanshi, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, India

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Abhishek Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Sardar Patel University of Police, Security, and Criminal Justice
Jodhpur, Rajasthan (India). I/O Psychology, Police Psychology, Psychology of Crime, high-performance workplace dynamics

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