Examination of leader behaviors at workplaces within framework of social identity theory

Looking at the literature on leadership, there are no studies examining whether the support given to the leader who violates morality will decrease, how successful and effective the leader is evaluated on the framework of identity leadership featureas. Therefore, the purpose of this study, by the Identety Leadership Model which is based on the social identity approach, is to examine the conditions under which leaders continue to be supported by their followers despite their immoral behaviors (harmful behaviors to others) and under which conditions the followers' evaluations of success and effectiveness of the leader change in the face of the leader's immoral behaviors. By this purpose, four different leader scenarios were prepared according to the leader's identity advancement feature and the type of group towards which the leader's moral violation directed. 615 people, including 389 women and 226 men, voluntarily participated in this online study. Participants were randomly assigned to four different scenarios which is prepared by the researchers. After reading the scenarios, the participants filled out the questionnaire which is prepared in accordance with these scenarios. According to the findings; When the leader was identity advancement, leader was supported more, evaluated more successful and more effective. Also, the leader who harmed the outgroup; was supported more, evaluated more successfully and more effectively. With all of these, evaluated less successful and effective when the leader was identity advancement and harmed the ingroup than when the leader was identity advancement and harmed the outgroup.The leader was evaluated more successful and effective when the leader was identity advancement and harmed the outgroup than when leader was not identity advancement and harmed the outgroup. Besides these, the leader was evaluated less successful and effective when the leader was not identity advancement and harmed ingroup than when the leader was identity advancement and harmed outgroup. Keywords: Leadership, Social İdentity Theory, Identity Leadership Model, Leader Identity Advancement, Moral Foundations Theory, Moral Violation.