A Social Comparison-based Examination of Leadership and Downward Envy in Organisations

This thesis examines social comparisons from the perspective of organisational leaders by integrating prior research and empirically investigating two leader emotions: downward malicious and benign envy towards subordinates. Across multiple studies, findings show that malicious envy undermines leaders' affective trust, reducing helping and increasing avoidance of envied subordinates. In contrast, benign envy fosters leaders' motivation to improve, enhancing advice-seeking from subordinates. Together, the results highlight the dual role of leader envy in shaping leader–subordinate dynamics. This research offers important implications for understanding and managing leader emotions to promote healthier and more effective workplace relationships.