Abstract
We developed and tested a theoretical model showing that authoritarian leadership has both positive and negative influences on employees' work performance. We posited that authoritarian leadership may shape both challenge stressors and hindrance stress-ors, which compel and undermine in-role and extra-role performance, respectively. We found consistent results across two studies. In Study 1, our results from two samples in different cultures showed that authoritarian leadership was positively related to objective performance (Sample 1: n = 402 Chinese chain restaurant managers) and extra-role performance (Sample 2: n = 369 U.K. police officers) via challenge stressors. Authoritarian leadership was negatively related to objective performance and extra-role performance via hindrance stressors. In Study 2 (n = 195 Chinese power industry employees), we replicated the findings of Study 1. Further, we found that authoritarian leadership behaviors among leaders who scored low on power distance orientation were not negatively related to in-role and extra-role performance via hindrance stressors. Keywords Authoritarian leadership · Challenge/hindrance stressor framework · Leader power distance orientation Authoritarian leaders control every organizational decision, demand absolute compliance, and threaten sanctions for disobedience. Authoritarian leaders may evoke negative reactions in employees by depriving them of their autonomy; generating ambiguity; inducing fear, perceptions of threat, and stress; neglecting their social-emotional needs; or disrupting dyadic relationships (Chan et al.