EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANAGERS' TOXIC LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND EMPLOYEES' ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL HAPPINESS

This study aims to investigate the relationship between managers' toxic leadership behaviors and employees' organizational commitment and organizational happiness. The research was designed using a quantitative research method and a correlational survey model. The population of the study consists of employees working under the Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate as of the year 2023, and the sample includes 285 employees selected through random sampling from this population. The data of the study were collected through scale instruments administered to participants via the internet. The scales used in the study include a personal information form, toxic leadership scale, organizational commitment scale, and organizational happiness scale. The data obtained from the research were analyzed using the SPSS 25 software package. The data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses. Based on the data collected from the research, it was found that employees' perceptions of toxic leadership were low, perceptions of organizational commitment were moderate, and perceptions of organizational happiness were high. Toxic leadership, organizational commitment, and organizational happiness perceptions were not found to differ significantly based on gender, age, and tenure variables. According to the research findings, there was a low negative relationship between employees' perceptions of toxic leadership and organizational commitment, a moderate negative relationship between employees' perceptions of toxic leadership and organizational happiness, and a moderate positive relationship between employees' perceptions of organizational happiness and organizational commitment. The sub-dimensions of the toxic leadership scale, namely narcissism and selfishness, were found to be significant predictors of organizational commitment, and employees' perceptions of toxic leadership accounted for approximately 11% of the total variance. Additionally, the sub-dimensions of the toxic leadership scale, namely negative mood, narcissism, and selfishness, were found to be significant predictors of organizational happiness, and employees' perceptions of toxic leadership accounted for approximately 26% of the total variance.