Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Research Spotlight

Me, Me, Me

Narcissism and Motivation to Lead

Published Online:October 04, 2022https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000504

Abstract

Abstract. This study tests the relationships between grandiose narcissism and affective, calculative, social-normative motivation to lead (MTL), avoidance to lead, and between vulnerable narcissism and affective MTL and avoidance to lead. Further, we assess the moderating effect of narcissistic organizational identification (NOI). As expected, grandiose narcissism correlated positively with three dimensions of MTL, though the relationship with social-normative MTL disappeared when controlling for NOI and the interaction. Vulnerable narcissism was positively related to avoidance to lead, but not too affective MTL. Subsequent regression analysis revealed that vulnerable narcissism related negatively to affective MTL for individuals with low or moderate (but not high) NOI. Our study contributes to the integration of narcissism and leadership research by examining a differentiated conceptualization of narcissism, explaining why some individuals may actively approach while others actively avoid leadership, and one of the boundary conditions which may facilitate narcissists’ MTL.

References

  • Badura, K. L., Grijalva, E., Galvin, B. M., Owens, B. P., & Joseph, D. L. (2020). Motivation to lead: A meta-analysis and distal-proximal model of motivation and leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(4), 331–354. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000439 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2010). Grandiose narcissism versus vulnerable narcissism in threatening situations: Emotional reactions to achievement failure and interpersonal rejection. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29(8), 874–902. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2010.29.8.874 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Braun, S. (2017). Leader narcissism and outcomes in organizations: A review at multiple levels of analysis and implications for future research. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 773. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00773 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Chan, K.-Y., & Drasgow, F. (2001). Toward a theory of individual differences and leadership: Understanding the motivation to lead. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 481–498. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.481 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Felfe, J., Elprana, G., Gatzka, L., & Stiehl, S. (2012). FÜMO: Hamburger Führungsmotivationsinventar [Hamburg Leadership Motivation Inventory]. Hogrefe. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Freis, S. D., & Hansen-Brown, A. A. (2021). Justifications of entitlement in grandiose and vulnerable narcissism: The roles of injustice and superiority. Personality and Individual Differences, 168, Article 110345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110345 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Fuller, P. J., Galvin, B. M., & Ashforth, B. (2018). Larger than life. Narcissistic organizational identification in leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 47(1), 8–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.06.003 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Galvin, B. M., Lange, D., & Ashforth, B. E. (2015). Narcissistic organizational identification: Seeing oneself as central to the organization’s identity. Academy of Management Review, 40(2), 163–181. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2013.0103 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gauglitz, I. K. (2021). Different forms of narcissism and leadership. Zeitschrift für Psychologie. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000480 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Glover, N., Miller, J. D., Lynam, D. R., Crego, C., & Widiger, T. A. (2012). The five-factor narcissism inventory: A five-factor measure of narcissistic personality traits. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94(5), 500–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2012.670680 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grapsas, S., Brummelman, E., Back, M. D., & Denissen, J. J. (2020). The “why” and “how” of narcissism: A process model of narcissistic status pursuit. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(1), 150–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619873350 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grijalva, E., Newman, D. A., Tay, L., Donnellan, M. B., Harms, P. D., Robins, R. W., & Yan, T. (2015). Gender differences in narcissism: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 141(2), 261–310. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038231 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hayes, A. F. (2018). The PROCESS Macro for SPSS and SAS version 3.0 [Computer software]. https://afhayes.com First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kark, R., Meister, A., & Peters, K. (2021). Now you see me, now you don’t: A conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of leader impostorism. Journal of Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211020358 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mazinani, Z., Shakiba, S., Pourshahbaz, A., & Vahedi, M. (2021). Five factor narcissism and threat to fundamental needs following social exclusion engendered by the Cyberball game. Personality and Individual Differences, 168, Article 110279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110279 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Miller, J. D., Hoffman, B. J., Gaughan, E. T., Gentile, B., Maples, J., & Campbell, W. K. (2011). Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism: A nomological network analysis. Journal of Personality, 79(5), 1013–1042. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00711.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Miller, J. D., Lynam, D. R., McCain, J. L., Few, L. R., Crego, C., Widiger, T. A., & Campbell, W. K. (2016). Thinking structurally about narcissism: An examination of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory and its components. Journal of Personality Disorders, 30(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi_2015_29_177 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Nevicka, B., De Hoogh, A. H., Van Vianen, A. E., Beersma, B., & McIlwain, D. (2011). All I need is a stage to shine: Narcissists’ leader emergence and performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(5), 910–925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.07.011 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • O’Reilly, C. A., & Pfeffer, J. (2021). Why are grandiose narcissists more effective at organizational politics? Means, motive, and opportunity. Personality and Individual Differences, 172, Article 110557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110557 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Paulhus, D. L., Westlake, B. G., Calvez, S. S., & Harms, P. D. (2013). Self-presentation style in job interviews: The role of personality and culture. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43(10), 2042–2059. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12157 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Pincus, A. L., & Lukowitsky, M. R. (2010). Pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131215 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Prundeanu, O., Constantin, T., & Popuşoi, S. A. (2021). Climb up your ego! Narcissistic status pursuit and motivation to lead. Personality and Individual Differences, 177, Article 110830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110830 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Raskin, R., & Terry, H. (1988). A principal-components analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and further evidence of its construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 890–902. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.5.890 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rohmann, E., Neumann, E., Herner, M. J., & Bierhoff, H.-W. (2012). Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. European Psychologist, 17(4), 279–290. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000100 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1998). Why workers still identify with organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19(3), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199805)19:3<217::AID-JOB931>3.0.CO;2-N First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sherman, E. D., Miller, J. D., Few, L. R., Campbell, W. K., Widiger, T. A., Crego, C., & Lynam, D. R. (2015). Development of a short form of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory: The FFNI-SF. Psychological Assessment, 27(3), 1110–1116. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000100 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Stucke, T. S. (2003). Who’s to blame? Narcissism and self-serving attributions following feedback. European Journal of Personality, 17(6), 465–478. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.497 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Weiss, B., Campbell, W. K., Lynam, D. R., & Miller, J. D. (2019). A trifurcated model of narcissism: On the pivotal role of trait antagonism. In J. D. MillerD. R. LynamEds., The handbook of antagonism: Conceptualizations, assessment, consequences, and treatment of the low end of agreeableness (pp. 221–235). Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Zeigler-Hill, V., Clark, C. B., & Pickard, J. D. (2008). Narcissistic subtypes and contingent self-esteem: Do all narcissists base their self-esteem on the same domains? Journal of Personality, 76(4), 753–774. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00503.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar