Organizational Psychology

The purpose of this article is to study the informative characteristics of role models ofmanagers who have constructive forms of management and toxic leadership. The study design assumeda description by each leader (N = 166, 100 men and 66 women, average age 44.2) of the situation of the complex managerial decisions that were encountered in his past experience. After identifying theregistry of complex management decisions with managers, a number of diagnostic procedures were carried out, including testing on three questionnaires and role-based modeling of the situation of a complex management decision. Data analysis was carried out by combining the situation of a complex managerial decision, role model, perceptions, and motive depending on the gender of managers according to the χ² Pearson criterion. Then, the influence of the role model on leadership style and victim behavior (one-way analysis of variance — ANOVA) was studied. Findings. The use of analysis of variance showed that, depending on the preferred role model, managers differ in management styles and victim behavior. A statistically significant difference was found in the conniving and collegial components (p < 0.01), as well as in all parameters of the tendency to victimization behavior (p < 0.04). Conclusions. In a situation of a difficult managerial decision, the heads of educational institutions prefer role models associated with the functions of control and leadership. Half of the female respondents are inclined to use the male role model. Leaders showing the roles of mother and father in a difficult managerialsituation are characterized by a tendency to hypersocial behavior (p < 0.02) and have constructive leadership styles. Leaders with a role model of a hero and a trickster in a difficult managerial situation demonstrate a victim behavior style and are prone to demonstrating toxic leadership. Another nonconstructivel eadership model is the role of the boy, which is associated with such parameters of victim behavior as dependence and uncriticality (p < 0.001). The value of the results. The article presents data to show the importance of role models in the behavior of managers of educational institutions, highlighted the role of victim characteristics in demonstrating toxic leadership.