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The Performance of Narcissists Rises and Falls With Perceived Opportunity for Glory

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Narcissists consider themselves to be exceptional performers, but past research has found no consistent relationship between narcissism and performance. The present research tested the hypothesis that the relationship between subclinical narcissism and performance is moderated by a motivational factor: perceived self-enhancement opportunity. Four experiments were conducted, each using different manipulations of self-enhancement opportunity and different performance tasks. In each study, narcissists performed better when self-enhancement opportunity was high rather than low. In contrast, the performance of participants with low narcissism was relatively unaffected by self-enhancement opportunity. Other findings suggested that narcissists' self-enhancement motivation stems more from a desire to garner admiration than from a desire to self-evaluate. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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... Liu et al., 2021;Yang et al., 2020;Zhou et al., 2019) or follower narcissism (e.g. Furnham et al., 2013;Goncalo et al., 2010;Mao et al., 2021;Martinsen et al., 2019;Wallace and Baumeister, 2002). ...
... Beyond their own tendency to identify with their leader, highly narcissistic followers are highly effective at impression management in the presence of others (Campbell and Foster, 2002;Twenge and Campbell, 2009). Highly narcissistic individuals are both motivated and skilled at informing others of their competence and strengths and aggressively seek key resources to achieve their goals (Campbell et al., 2011;Grijalva and Zhang, 2016;Wallace and Baumeister, 2002). Highly narcissistic followers are more likely to present themselves as competent and skilled; hence, they tend to be appreciated, even by leaders with lower levels of narcissism, and build relatively satisfactory psychological bonds with such leaders. ...
... First, our research contributes to the narcissism literature by simultaneously considering leader and follower narcissism and disentangling the mixed effects of either leader narcissism (Liu et al., 2022c;Yang et al., 2020;Zhou et al., 2019) or follower narcissism (Furnham et al., 2013;Mao et al., 2021;Martinsen et al., 2019;Wallace and Baumeister, 2002) on creative performance. Although prior studies have advanced our understanding of narcissism's effects on creative performance, they have relied exclusively on either a leader-centric or follower-centric perspective, which may have precipitated the aforementioned mixed results. ...
Article
What is the effect of trait narcissism on creative performance? Although both constructs share an emphasis on uniqueness and novelty, prior investigations of the narcissism–creative performance relationship have produced inconsistent findings and failed to provide conclusive answers to this question. One possible reason for the seemingly contradictory evidence is that extant research has examined the influences of leader and follower narcissism separately rather than simultaneously. In this study, we address this issue by investigating leader–follower narcissism (in)congruence to comprehensively understand when and why leader or follower narcissism is beneficial or detrimental to creative performance. Integrating the self-orientation model of narcissism and narcissistic-tolerance theory, we posit that leader and follower narcissism jointly influence creative performance via identification with the leader, and that different leader–follower narcissism (in)congruence combinations exhibit distinct effects. The analyses of two-wave, two-level, and multi-source data from 421 followers and 54 direct leaders, using cross-level polynomial regressions, support our hypotheses: (1) identification with the leader is maximized when leader narcissism and follower narcissism are congruent; (2) identification with the leader is minimized when leader narcissism is higher than follower narcissism; and (3) identification with the leader mediates the effects of leader–follower narcissism (in)congruence combinations on creative performance.
... De acuerdo con Lowen (2000), el narcisismo subclínico es considerado una condición propia del individuo y se refiere a una perturbación, caracterizada por el exagero en su propia persona. Esta patología es considerada una de varios tipos de trastornos de personalidad, puesto que es una condición psicológica como también se considera una condición cultural, en donde las personas tienen un sentido imponente de su realidad y se caracteriza por la profunda necesidad de atención y admiración excesiva en su entorno (Bushman & Baumeister, 1998;Wanderley 1999;Wallace & Baumeister, 2002;Twenge & Campbell, 2003). Raskin y Terry (1988), describen el interés de la psicología en los fenómenos narcisistas, y la luz de los avances de estudios clínicos la APA (2000), ha incluido el narcisismo en su clasificación de diagnóstico definido por los siguientes criterios: un grandioso sentido de autoimportancia o singularidad; una preocupación por fantasías de éxito ilimitado, poder, brillantez, belleza o amor ideal; exhibicionismo; una incapacidad para tolerar la crítica, la indiferencia de otros, o la derrota; el derecho o la expectativa de favores especiales sin asumir las responsabilidades recíprocas; exploración interpersonal, las relaciones que se alternan entre los extremos de sobre idealización y la devaluación; y la falta de empatía. ...
... El problema que surge de esta realidad es que los rasgos narcisistas son evidentes entre estudiantes universitarios y pueden estar relacionados con dificultades, como una reacción ofensiva después de ser criticados (Bushman & Baumeister, 1998;Wallace & Baumeister, 2002;Twenge & Campbell, 2003). Asimismo, alumnos narcisistas tienden a considerar su desempeño sobresaliente en un entorno académico, aunque el desempeño real generalmente no puede considerarse mejor que el de otros alumnos (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). ...
... El problema que surge de esta realidad es que los rasgos narcisistas son evidentes entre estudiantes universitarios y pueden estar relacionados con dificultades, como una reacción ofensiva después de ser criticados (Bushman & Baumeister, 1998;Wallace & Baumeister, 2002;Twenge & Campbell, 2003). Asimismo, alumnos narcisistas tienden a considerar su desempeño sobresaliente en un entorno académico, aunque el desempeño real generalmente no puede considerarse mejor que el de otros alumnos (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). Alumnos con altos grados de narcisismo llegaran a percibir incluso que sus orientadores carecen de falta de experiencia en la orientación profesional (Li, 2015). ...
Article
Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo verificar la intensidad de narcisismo evidenciado en redes sociales de los estudiantes brasileños de posgraduación stricto sensu del área de negocios. Para lo cual se utilizó un Cuestionario de Percepciones sobre la Intensidad de Narcisismo Virtual. La muestra fue de 605 alumnos de posgraduación stricto sensu del área de negocios de diferentes universidades de Brasil. Los datos fueron analizados a través de Análisis Factorial Exploratorio (AFE). Entre los resultados encontrados, alumnos de maestría presentan mayor intensidad de narcisismo virtual, en relación a los mismos elementos medidos de los alumnos de doctorado. AFE reflejó 3 grupos para alumnos de maestría y 4 grupos para alumnos que cursan doctorado. Fueron catalogados según sus características en común, y fueron denominados como: “Autopromoción”; “Egocentrismo”; “Presunción” y “Autoconfianza”. Se cree que una de las principales contribuciones de este estudio es la creación de un cuestionario para capturar Percepciones sobre la Intensidad de Narcisismo Virtual que se inspiró en el modelo de Raskin y Terry (1988). Por su parte, el número de respondientes que se adhirió a la investigación fue significativo, lo que demuestra el interés de las personas en la temática abordada. Así, el estudio innova porque expande una temática de relevancia en el ámbito académico, una vez que la mayor parte de los estudios conductuales son sobre narcisismo en su forma convencional y no consideran aspectos contemporáneos introducidos por las nuevas tecnologías de comunicación virtual.
... Bu sporcular, zorlayıcı ve yüksek baskı altındaki durumlarda daha iyi performans gösterirlerken, düşük baskı ve rutin görevlerde performansları düşüş göstermektedir. Bu durum, narsist sporcuların baskı altındaki performanslarının takdir kazanma ve faaliyete yükledikleri değer motivasyonlarından kaynaklanmaktadır (Roberts vd., 2018;Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). ...
... Narsisizm, spor ortamlarında özellikle bireysel spor yapan sporcular için belirgin avantajlar sağlayabilir. Narsist sporcuların kendilerini geliştirme motivasyonları yüksek olduğundan, bu sporcular genellikle kendilerini ön plana çıkaran ve başarılarını vurgulayan bireysel sporlarda daha başarılı olabilirler (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). Dolayısıyla narsisizm, sporcularda performansı artırabilecek motivasyon sağlarken, takım içi uyumu ve iş birliğini olumsuz etkileyebilecek bir faktör olarak dikkat çekmektedir. ...
... Narsist antrenörlerin sporcuları, antrenör tarafından belirlenen yoğun baskı ve beklentiler nedeniyle önemli durumlarda olağanüstü iyi performans gösterebilirler. Antrenörün onayını ve takdirini kazanma arzusu, özellikle kişisel zafer fırsatının yüksek olduğu rekabetçi ortamlarda sporcuları mükemmel olmaya itebilir (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). Ancak bu sürekli baskı, sporcular arasında yüksek düzeyde kaygı ve strese de yol açabilir. ...
... For example, if narcissistic grandiosity turns out to be associated with externalizing disorders, higher self-esteem, and lower negative emotions, narcissistic vulnerability turns out to be associated with internalizing disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety), lower self-esteem, greater difficulty in emotion regulation, and negative affectivity [53,[65][66][67]. So, those with higher levels of narcissistic grandiosity appear to be more extroverted, enthusiastic, and likely to be committed to achieving their goals [68,69], while those with higher levels of narcissistic vulnerability tend to be introverted, inhibited, and hypersensitive to criticism and failure [70,71]. These characteristics can affect the way individuals cope with daily tasks and approach performance. ...
... Moreover, the results are in line with studies emphasizing the avoidance tendency of people with a greater sense of narcissistic vulnerability [72,112], who are inclined to defend themselves against possible threats to their value, such as failure in a task. In contrast, the data on the association between narcissistic grandiosity and procrastination appear at odds with the literature, which shows that people who have higher levels of narcissistic grandiosity should be willing to be committed and persistent in achieving their goals [68,69,73]. We can hypothesize that people with greater narcissistic grandiosity might consider themselves able to defy time, so they should procrastinate in the belief that they can accomplish tasks. ...
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Procrastination is generally regarded as a dysfunctional tendency to postpone tasks, due to its consequences on performance and psychological well-being. Previous research has indicated that it is linked to perfectionism and narcissism, but with mixed results. The present study explored the interaction between procrastination, perceived parental expectations, multidimensional perfectionism, and narcissism in a sample of 548 Italian young adults aged 18–35 years (M = 23.9; SD = 4.3). Participants completed an online survey consisting of a sociodemographic questionnaire and psychometric measures assessing the constructs of interest. The results showed that: (a) procrastination was positively correlated with socially prescribed perfectionism only, which, in turn, was positively correlated with perceived parental expectations and criticism, and both narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability; (b) perceived parental expectations and criticism and narcissistic vulnerability had a positive effect on socially prescribed perfectionism, while procrastination had a negative one; and (c) narcissistic vulnerability mediated the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and procrastination. Taken together, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the link between procrastination, perfectionism, and narcissism in young adults, and highlight the relevance of contemporary parenting styles and the current sociocultural background for understanding dilatory behaviors.
... In turn, Psychopathy is associated with a motivation for power and development (Diller, Czibor, et al., 2020as cited in Diller, Frey, et al., 2021, which may include a motivation for developing skills such as mastering an L2. This motivation to develop skills may also apply to Narcissism, as highly Narcissistic individuals have a high impression motivation and may want to develop skills to impress others (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). Given the theoretical foundations of the DT traits and previous findings in domaingeneral education, there is a research basis from which to explore the relationship between L2 motivation and DT. ...
... Furthermore, the theoretical foundations of each DT trait may provide a basis from which to link the traits to L2 academic and self-perceived achievement. Narcissism is associated with a grandiose sense of self and a need to impress (Paulus & Williams, 2002), where both a sense of self and a need to impress may translate into a greater L2 perceived achievement, with a need to impress possibly leading to a drive to achieve (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). In turn, Machiavellianism is associated with goal-striving behaviour and pursuing rewards (Kareshki, 2011), as higher grades can be considered a goal or a 'reward', it may be that Machiavellian language learners pursue academic achievements. ...
Preprint
The duality of human nature, consisting of positive and negative personality traits, has intrigued a scholarly interest in different fields. Despite an overwhelming dominance of research on positive characteristics, particularly in the field of education, negative traits, such as those constituting the Dark Triad (DT; i.e. Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism) have been confirmed to be associated with both positive and detrimental outcomes. This paper aims to investigate the potential influence of these aversive traits on second language (L2) learning outcomes-i.e. L2 learning motivation, engagement, achievement, and willingness to communicate. L2 learners from a single country (n = 431) participated in this study. Multiple structural equation models (SEMs) were run to analyse the links and the directionality of significant effects. Overall, among the undesirable DT traits, Psychopathy and Narcissism were both positive and negative predictors of the L2 outcomes, while Machiavellianism unexpectedly emerged solely as a positive predictor. The intricacy of the results underscores the vague nature of the effects, pinpointing the need for more caution while examining negative personality traits in education and the L2 contexts. Based on the results of this study, implications and directions for future research on DT and language learning are suggested.
... Firm creation is particularly attractive to individuals high in the Dark Triad traits due to a unique opportunity to satisfy self-aggrandizing power-seeking impulses and expectations, and founders have an outsize impact on team functioning (Brownell et al., 2021;Wallace & Baumeister, 2002). The situational advantages of firm creation (e.g., rapid acquisition of status, public acclaim) may only embolden these founders by satisfying ingrained desires for status, power, and control. ...
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Though scholars have explored how the personality composition of a new venture team relates to critical firm-level outcomes, research has not yet accounted for the impact of the lead founder, whose personality likely exerts a unique influence on team processes due to their elevated role. This is particularly critical in light of recent research highlighting the prevalence of the Dark Triad in entrepreneurship. We draw on social exchange theory to theorize and test how lead founder Dark Triad personality traits influence three intra-team processes: autonomy, innovation, and relationship conflict. In a time-lagged field study of nascent founders and their new venture teams (N = 102 intact teams), we found that lead founders who score high on Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy differentially effect these socially motivated team processes. By focusing on the influence that a single individual – the lead founder – can have within a new venture team, our findings offer balance to the literature, which predominantly focuses on team composition.
... Finally, we identified power sharing as an essential contingent factor that influences how narcissistic employees view themselves and how they act. Given the critical role played by the team leaders, the specific leadership style will significantly influence an employee's perceptions of the self because a narcissistic individual tends to pursue an opportunity for glory, especially when situations are favorable (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002;Watts et al., 2013). Thus, power sharing, which denotes the willingness of a formal team leader to delegate authority and allow subordinates to participate in job-rated decisions (Kirkman & Rosen, 1999), provides narcissistic employees with opportunities to shine. ...
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Employee’s taking charge behavior is particularly important in a volatile and complex business environment. Based on the agent model of narcissism and trait-activation theory, this study analyzes the relationship between employee narcissism and their taking charge behavior. Two waves of supervisor-employee dyadic data surveys on 263 employees in 57 teams show that there is a positive correlation between employee narcissism and employee taking charge behavior, and that role-breadth self-efficacy mediated this effect. The results also show that power sharing moderated the effect of employee narcissism on taking charge behavior. as well as the indirect effect of employee narcissism on taking charge behavior via role-breadth self-efficacy. This study enriches the theoretical study of employee narcissism and provides practical significance for selecting employees through characteristics when organizations need to change.
... In contrast, if ignored by their leader, narcissistic followers may become spiteful and withhold their effort. Supportively, Wallace and Baumeister (2002) found narcissists perform well if they believe it will be self-enhancing. This leads us to: ...
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Drawing on hierometer theory with social comparison theory as an orienting framework, two field studies test the importance of follower grandiose narcissism in enabling the performance-enhancing potential of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX). Latent change regression analysis of follower performance appraisal scores over one year in Study 1 (international logistics organization) revealed improvements in performance only for followers who perceived higher LMX quality than others and also either (a) perceived their leader to hold high status in their organization (N = 198) or (b) themselves exhibited high grandiose narcissism (N = 147). Followers’ perception of leader status did not moderate the impact of follower grandiose narcissism on the LMX-performance improvement relationship. Latent change regression analysis of performance appraisal scores over one year in Study 2 (N = 282, large public university) replicated the performance improvement associated with perceived LMX quality only among followers expressing higher grandiose narcissism but found it contingent upon feelings of being already envied by others in the follower’s work environment. The results support the interpretation of LMX as a form of self-enhancing status fulfillment for followers, which motivates performance reciprocity. We discuss the fitness of hierometer theory in understanding the LMX-performance relationship as compared to the more commonly applied sociometer theory, as well as the broader implications of these findings for LMX theory.
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