| Abstract [eng] |
This master's thesis examines the impact of a manager's manipulative behavior on the stress experienced by employees. The topic of the work is relevant both from a scientific and practical point of view, because manipulative manager behavior has not been studied in detail as a separate construct of destructive leadership, there is a lack of a clear typology of manipulative behavior and the mechanisms of its impact on employee stress, there is almost no research in the Lithuanian context, although cultural and organizational characteristics can significantly affect the interpretation and experience of the phenomenon, and gaps in legal regulation complicate the prevention of manipulative behavior and the protection of employees. In the modern work environment, more and more attention is paid to the emotional well-being and psychological safety of employees, but manipulative manager behavior in organizations is still often normalized, justified by high work results, or assessed as a strict leadership style. For this reason, employees are not always able to recognize manipulative behavior in time, and long-term emotional pressure becomes one of the causes of stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a manager's manipulative behaviour on the stress experienced by employees. In order to achieve the set goal, the concept of employee stress was analysed, forms of manipulative behaviour of a manager and their impact on the emotional state of employees and the organisational environment were examined. The problem raised – what impact does a manager's manipulative behaviors have on the stress experienced by employees? The objectives are: 1. to define the concept of stress experienced by employees, 2. to reveal the concept of managerial manipulative behavior and present a typology, 3. to create a model of the impact of managerial manipulative behavior on stress, 4. to develop a methodology for researching the impact of a manager‘s manipulative behavior on employee stress, 5. to empirically investigate the impact of managerial manipulative behavior on employee stress. The theoretical part of the work analyzes the concepts of employee stress, destructive leadership and manipulative manager behavior. The main signs of manipulative behavior, forms of manipulation and their links with employees' emotional state and psychological safety are discussed. Literature analysis revealed that manipulative behavior is most often manifested through emotional pressure, information control, guilt formation, questioning of employees' competence and indirect forms of control. The study found that manipulative manager behavior caused emotional tension, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, self-doubt and long-term emotional fatigue in employees. Respondents said that over time they began to doubt their competence, felt constant pressure and had difficulty detaching themselves from work problems even after working hours. Some study participants also mentioned physical symptoms, such as insomnia, changes in appetite, constant fatigue or increased blood pressure. The results of the study revealed that the manipulative work environment negatively affected not only the emotional well-being of employees, but also relationships with colleagues, organizational climate, and employee motivation and engagement in work. Based on the results of theoretical analysis and empirical research, a model of the impact of a manager's manipulative behavior on stress was developed, which revealed a consistent chain of manipulative influence from forms of manipulation to employee reactions, and the consequences of stress for the employee and the organization. The results of the study showed that the manipulative behavior of a manager is a complex psychosocial phenomenon that, in the long run, negatively affects the psychological safety, emotional well-being, and microclimate of the organization. Taking into account the results obtained, it can be stated that it is important for organizations to pay more attention to recognizing manipulative behavior, strengthening psychological safety, and ensuring the emotional well-being of employees. |
