Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Janus Face of Grandiose Narcissism in the Service Industry: Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Narcissism is considered a generally undesirable trait in the workplace, but is this the whole story? In grandiose narcissism, two dimensions (narcissistic rivalry and narcissistic admiration) are recognized corresponding to self-protecting and self-enhancing regulatory processes separately. Applying the self-regulation theory and the conservation of resources theory, we investigated the distinct outcomes and influencing mechanisms of the two dimensions in an organizational context using multilevel structural equation modeling. Whereas previous literature has found narcissism to be mainly related to negative outcomes in the workplace, our dimensional framework indicates that grandiose narcissism may have a Janus face—i.e., a dark side of unethical behaviors and a light side of prosocial behaviors. From a sample of 646 frontline employees in a Chinese call center, we found that while employee narcissistic rivalry was positively related to customer-directed sabotage through the mediation of emotional exhaustion, narcissistic admiration was positively related to organizational citizenship behavior toward customers (OCB-C) through the mediation of self-perceived status. In addition to the internal self-regulation of these two narcissism dimensions, political skill provides an external self-regulation that moderates the mediating effect of self-perceived status at the first stage—that is, the positive relationship between narcissistic admiration and self-perceived status is stronger when political skill is high rather than low. Our post hoc analyses further reveal that narcissistic rivalry is negatively related to OCB-C through the mediation of self-perceived status. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, C., Hildreth, J. A. D., & Howland, L. (2015). Is the desire for status a fundamental human motive? A review of the empirical literature. Psychological Bulletin, 141(3), 574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C., John, O. P., Keltner, D., & Kring, A. M. (2001). Who attains social status? Effects of personality and physical attractiveness in social groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(1), 116–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andreoni, J., Nikiforakis, N., & Stoop, J. (2021). Higher socioeconomic status does not predict decreased prosocial behavior in a field experiment. Nature Communications, 12(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Back, M. D. (2018). The narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept. In Handbook of trait narcissism (pp. 57–67). Springer.

  • Back, M. D., Küfner, A. C. P., Dufner, M., Gerlach, T. M., Rauthmann, J. F., & Denissen, J. J. A. (2013). Narcissistic admiration and rivalry: Disentangling the bright and dark sides of narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(6), 1013–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Back, M. D., Küfner, A. C. P., & Leckelt, M. (2018). Early impressions of grandiosenarcissists: A dual-pathway perspective. Handbook of trait narcissism (pp. 309–316). Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Baloch, M. A., Meng, F., Xu, Z., Cepeda-Carrion, I., & Bari, M. W. (2017). Dark triad, perceptions of organizational politics and counterproductive work behaviors: The moderating effect of political skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1972–1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (2007). Social cognitive theory. In S. G. Rogelberg (Ed.), Encyclopedia of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 729–733). Sage Reference.

  • Banks, G., Whelpley, C., Oh, I.-S., & Shin, K. (2012). (How) are emotionally exhausted employees harmful? International Journal of Stress Management, 19, 198–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F. (2001). Social psychology and human sexuality. Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F., & Juola Exline, J. (1999). Virtue, personality, and social relations: Self-control as the moral muscle. Journal of Personality, 67(6), 1165–1194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2012). Self-regulation and the executive function of the self. In M. R. Leary & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (2nd ed., pp. 180–197). The Guilford Press.

  • Bell, S. J., & Menguc, B. (2002). The employee-organization relationship, organizational citizenship behaviors, and superior service quality. Journal of Retailing, 78(2), 131–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, A. J., & Giacomin, M. (2020). How self-esteem and narcissism differentially relate to high and (un)stable feelings of status and inclusion. Journal of Personality, 88(6), 1177–1195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bettencourt, L. A., & Brown, S. W. (1997). Contact employees: Relationships among workplace fairness, job satisfaction and prosocial service behaviors. Journal of Retailing, 73(1), 39–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bettencourt, L. A., & Gwinner, K. (1996). Customization of the service experience: The role of the frontline employee. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(2), 3–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bing, M. N., Davison, H. K., Minor, I., Novicevic, M. M., & Frink, D. D. (2011). The prediction of task and contextual performance by political skill: A meta-analysis and moderator test. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(2), 563–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binning, K. R., & Huo, Y. J. (2012). Understanding status as a social resource. In Handbook of social resource theory (pp. 133–147). Springer.

  • Blickle, G., Meurs, J. A., Wihler, A., Ewen, C., Plies, A., & Günther, S. (2013). The interactive effects of conscientiousness, openness to experience, and political skill on job performance in complex jobs: The importance of context. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(8), 1145–1164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blickle, G., Wendel, S., & Ferris, G. R. (2010). Political skill as moderator of personality–job performance relationships in socioanalytic theory: Test of the getting ahead motive in automobile sales. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76(2), 326–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bliese, P. D. (2000). Within-group agreement, non-independence, and reliability: Implications for data aggregation and analysis. In K. J. Klein & S. W. J. Kozlowski (Eds.), Multilevel theory, research, and methods in organizations: Foundations, extensions, and new directions (pp. 349–381). Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, L. R., Harvey, R. D., Grawitch, M. J., & Barber, L. K. (2012). Counterproductive work behaviours in response to emotional exhaustion: A moderated mediational approach. Stress and Health, 28(3), 222–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bothner, M. S., Kim, Y., & Smith, E. B. (2012). How does status affect performance? Status as an asset vs. status as a liability in the PGA and NASCAR. Organization Science (Providence, RI), 23(2), 416–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brady, M. K., & Cronin, J. J., Jr. (2001). Customer orientation: Effects on customer service perceptions and outcome behaviors. Journal of Service Research, 3(3), 241–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. W. (1980). Translation and content analysis of oral and written materials. In Methodology (pp. 389–444). Allyn and Bacon.

  • Brown, A. D. (1997). Narcissism, identity, and legitimacy. Academy of Management Review, 22(3), 643–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cain, N. M., Pincus, A. L., & Ansell, E. B. (2008). Narcissism at the crossroads: Phenotypic description of pathological narcissism across clinical theory, social/personality psychology, and psychiatric diagnosis. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(4), 638–656.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, W. K., & Campbell, S. M. (2009). On the self-regulatory dynamics created by the peculiar benefits and costs of narcissism: A contextual reinforcement model and examination of leadership. Self and Identity, 8(2–3), 214–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, W. K., Hoffman, B. J., Campbell, S. M., & Marchisio, G. (2011). Narcissism in organizational contexts. Human Resource Management Review, 21(4), 268–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. W., Gong, T., Zhang, R., & Zhou, M. (2017). Do employee citizenship behaviors lead to customer citizenship behaviors? The roles of dual identification and service climate. Journal of Service Research, 20(3), 259–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatterjee, A., & Hambrick, D. C. (2007). It’s all about me: Narcissistic chief executive officers and their effects on company strategy and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(3), 351–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cragun, O. R., Olsen, K. J., & Wright, P. M. (2020). Making CEO narcissism research great: A review and meta-analysis of CEO narcissism. Journal of Management, 46(6), 908–936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cropanzano, R., Rupp, D. E., & Byrne, Z. S. (2003). The relationship of emotional exhaustion to work attitudes, job performance, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(1), 160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crowe, M. L., Lynam, D. R., Campbell, W. K., & Miller, J. D. (2019). Exploring the structure of narcissism: Toward an integrated solution. Journal of Personality, 87(6), 1151–1169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cullen, K. L., Fan, J., & Liu, C. (2014). Employee popularity mediates the relationship between political skill and workplace interpersonal mistreatment. Journal of Management, 40(6), 1760–1778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai, W., Chen, X., Arnulf, J. K., & Dai, M. (2014). Consequences of family interference with work: The roles of emotional exhaustion, service sabotage, and negative affectivity. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 42(10), 1613–1627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deery, S., Iverson, R., & Walsh, J. (2002). Work relationships in telephone call centres: Understanding emotional exhaustion and employee withdrawal. Journal of Management Studies, 39(4), 471–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Den Hartog, D. N., De Hoogh, A. H., & Belschak, F. D. (2020). Toot your own horn? Leader narcissism and the effectiveness of employee self-promotion. Journal of Management, 46(2), 261–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietl, E., & Reb, J. (2019). A self-regulation model of leader authenticity based on mindful self-regulated attention and political skill. Human Relations, 74(4), 473–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding, Z., Liu, W., Zhang, G., & Wang, H. (2018). Supervisor narcissism and time theft: Investigating the mediating roles of emotional exhaustion and the moderating roles of attachment style. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edmondson, D. R., Matthews, L. M., & Ward, C. B. (2019). An exploratory study of retail sales employees’ service sabotage: Examining the impact of emotional exhaustion and organizational support. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 29(1), 63–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epitropaki, O., Kapoutsis, I., Ellen, B. P., III., Ferris, G. R., Drivas, K., & Ntotsi, A. (2016). Navigating uneven terrain: The roles of political skill and LMX differentiation in prediction of work relationship quality and work outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 37(7), 1078–1103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, G. R., Perrewé, P. L., Anthony, W. P., & Gilmore, D. C. (2000). Political skill at work. Organizational Dynamics, 28(4), 25–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, G. R., Rogers, L. M., Blass, F. R., & Hochwarter, W. A. (2009). Interaction of job-limiting pain and political skill on job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(7–8), 584–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D. D. (2005). Development and validation of the political skill inventory. Journal of Management, 31(1), 126–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Perrewé, P. L., Brouer, R. L., Douglas, C., & Lux, S. (2007). Political skill in organizations. Journal of Management, 33(3), 290–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foa, E. B., & Foa, U. G. (2012). Resource theory of social exchange. In Handbook of social resource theory (pp. 15–32). Springer.

  • Foster, J. D., & Campbell, W. K. (2007). Are there such things as “narcissists” in social psychology? A taxometric analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(6), 1321–1332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gino, F., Schweitzer, M. E., Mead, N. L., & Ariely, D. (2011). Unable to resist temptation: How self-control depletion promotes unethical behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115(2), 191–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottfredson, M. R., & Hirschi, T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Stanford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Grandey, A. A., & Diamond, J. A. (2010). Interactions with the public: Bridging job design and emotional labor perspectives. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(2/3), 338–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grijalva, E., & Harms, P. D. (2014). Narcissism: An integrative synthesis and dominance complementarity model. Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(2), 108–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grijalva, E., & Newman, D. A. (2015). Narcissism and counterproductive work behavior (CWB): Meta-analysis and consideration of collectivist culture, big five personality, and narcissism’s facet structure. Applied Psychology, 64(1), 93–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halbesleben, J. R., Neveu, J. P., Paustian-Underdahl, S. C., & Westman, M. (2014). Getting to the “COR” understanding the role of resources in conservation of resources theory. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1334–1364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, K. J., Kacmar, K. M., Zivnuska, S., & Shaw, J. D. (2007). The impact of political skill on impression management effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennig-Thurau, T. (2004). Customer orientation of service employees: Its impact on customer satisfaction, commitment, and retention. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15(5), 460–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44, 513–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E., Halbesleben, J., Neveu, J. P., & Westman, M. (2018). Conservation of resources in the organizational context: The reality of resources and their consequences. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5, 103–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofmann, W., Schmeichel, B. J., & Baddeley, A. D. (2012). Executive functions and self-regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(3), 174–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogan, R., & Shelton, D. (1998). A socioanalytic perspective on job performance. Human Performance, 11(2–3), 129–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1991). Life stressors, personal and social resources, and depression: A 4-year structural model. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(1), 31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horvath, S., & Morf, C. C. (2010). To be grandiose or not to be worthless: Different routes to self-enhancement for narcissism and self-esteem. Journal of Research in Personality, 44(5), 585–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M. (1970). Success, failure, attention, and reaction to others: The warm glow of success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 15(4), 294–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jawahar, I. M., Stone, T. H., & Kisamore, J. L. (2007). Role conflict and burnout: The direct and moderating effects of political skill and perceived organizational support on burnout dimensions. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Judge, T. A., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2006). Loving yourself abundantly: Relationship of the narcissistic personality to self-and other perceptions of workplace deviance, leadership, and task and contextual performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 762–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, F., Cheng, B., Kuo, C., & Huang, M. (2014). Stressors, withdrawal, and sabotage in frontline employees: The moderating effects of caring and service climates. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87(4), 755–780.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanfer, R. (1990). Motivation theory and industrial and organizational psychology. Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(2), 75–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karatepe, O. M., Kim, T. T., & Lee, G. (2019). Is political skill really an antidote in the workplace incivility-emotional exhaustion and outcome relationship in the hotel industry? Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 40, 40–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karoly, P. (1993). Mechanisms of self-regulation: A systems view. Annual Review of Psychology, 44(1), 23–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kernberg, O. F. (1989). An ego psychology object relations theory of the structure and treatment of pathologic narcissism: An overview. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 12, 723–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, W. M. P. (2003). Effects of objective feedback and “Single other” or “Average other” social comparison feedback on performance judgments and helping behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(3), 418–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koopman, J., Lanaj, K., & Scott, B. A. (2016). Integrating the bright and dark sides of OCB: A daily investigation of the benefits and costs of helping others. Academy of Management Journal, 59(2), 414–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kouchaki, M., & Desai, S. D. (2015). Anxious, threatened, and also unethical: How anxiety makes individuals feel threatened and commit unethical acts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(2), 360–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landis, R. S., Beal, D. J., & Tesluk, P. E. (2000). A comparison of approaches to forming composite measures in structural equation models. Organizational Research Methods, 3, 186–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, J., Crusius, J., & Hagemeyer, B. (2016). The evil queen’s dilemma: Linking narcissistic admiration and rivalry to benign and malicious envy. European Journal of Personality, 30(2), 168–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leckelt, M., Küfner, A. C., Nestler, S., & Back, M. D. (2015). Behavioral processes underlying the decline of narcissists’ popularity over time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(5), 856–871.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, R., Zhang, H., Zhu, X., & Li, N. (2021). Does employee humility Foster performance and promotability? Exploring the mechanisms of LMX and peer network centrality in China. Human Resource Management, 60(3), 399–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, S. C., & Hsieh, A. T. (2007). Burnout and workplace deviance among flight attendants in Taiwan. Psychological Reports, 101(2), 457–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, R. G., Diefendorff, J. M., Schmidt, A. M., & Hall, R. J. (2010). Self-regulation at work. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 543–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, C. L., & Sirianni, C. (1996). Working in the service society. Temple University Press.

  • Mao, J., Quan, J., Li, Y., & Xiao, J. (2021). The differential implications of employee narcissism for radical versus incremental creativity: A selfaffirmation perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(7), 933–949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mawritz, M. B., Greenbaum, R. L., Butts, M. M., & Graham, K. A. (2017). I just can’t control myself: A self-regulation perspective on the abuse of deviant employees. Academy of Management Journal, 60(4), 1482–1503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mead, N. L., Baumeister, R. F., Gino, F., Schweitzer, M. E., & Ariely, D. (2009). Too tired to tell the truth: Self-control resource depletion and dishonesty. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(3), 594–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. D., Hoffman, B. J., Gaughan, E. T., Gentile, B., Maples, J., & Keith Campbell, W. (2011). Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism: A nomological network analysis. Journal of Personality, 79(5), 1013–1042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morf, C. C., Horvath, S., & Torchetti, L. (2011). Narcissistic self-enhancement: Tales of (successful?) self-portrayal. In M. D. Alicke & C. Sedikides (Eds.), Handbook of self-enhancement and self-protection (pp. 399–424). Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morf, C. C., & Rhodewalt, F. (2001). Unraveling the paradoxes of narcissism: A dynamic self-regulatory processing model. Psychological Inquiry, 12(4), 177–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munyon, T. P., Summers, J. K., Thompson, K. M., & Ferris, G. R. (2015). Political skill and work outcomes: A theoretical extension, meta-analytic investigation, and agenda for the future. Personnel Psychology, 68(1), 143–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muraven, M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychological Bulletin, 126(2), 247–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myrseth, K. O. R., & Fishbach, A. (2009). Self-control: A function of knowing when and how to exercise restraint. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(4), 247–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nevicka, B., Baas, M., & Ten Velden, F. S. (2016). The bright side of threatened narcissism: Improved performance following ego threat. Journal of Personality, 84(6), 809–823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C. A., & Pfeffer, J. (2021a). Organizational power and politics: The narcissist’s advantage? Personality and Individual Differences, 182, 111061.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C. A., & Pfeffer, J. (2021b). Why are grandiose narcissists more effective at organizational politics? Means, motive, and opportunity. Personality and Individual Differences, 172, 110557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pansera, C., & La Guardia, J. (2012). The role of sincere amends and perceived partner responsiveness in forgiveness. Personal Relationships, 19(4), 696–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulhus, D. L., & Williams, K. M. (2002). The dark triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(6), 556–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penney, L. M., & Spector, P. E. (2002). Narcissism and counterproductive work behavior: Do bigger egos mean bigger problems? International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 10(1–2), 126–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrewé, P. L., Ferris, G. R., Frink, D. D., & Anthony, W. P. (2000). Political skill: An antidote for workplace stressors. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(3), 115–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrewé, P. L., Zellars, K. L., Ferris, G. R., Rossi, A. M., Kacmar, C. J., & Ralston, D. A. (2004). Neutralizing job stressors: Political skill as an antidote to the dysfunctional consequences of role conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 47(1), 141–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porath, C. L., & Bateman, T. S. (2006). Self-regulation: From goal orientation to job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(1), 185–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin, X., Huang, M., Johnson, R. E., Hu, Q., & Ju, D. (2018). The short-lived benefits of abusive supervisory behavior for actors: An investigation of recovery and work engagement. Academy of Management Journal, 61(5), 1951–1975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rank, J., Carsten, J. M., Unger, J. M., & Spector, P. E. (2007). Proactive customer service performance: Relationships with individual, task, and leadership variables. Human Performance, 20(4), 363–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raskin, R., & Shaw, R. (1988). Narcissism and the use of personal pronouns. Journal of Personality, 56(2), 393–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reina, C. S., Zhang, Z., & Peterson, S. J. (2014). CEO grandiose narcissism and firm performance: The role of organizational identification. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(5), 958–971.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rijsenbilt, A., & Commandeur, H. (2013). Narcissus enters the courtroom: CEO narcissism and fraud. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(2), 413–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, S. A., & Pittinsky, T. L. (2006). Narcissistic leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 617–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruedy, N. E., Moore, C., Gino, F., & Schweitzer, M. E. (2013). The cheater’s high: The unexpected affective benefits of unethical behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(4), 531–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salanova, M., Schaufeli, W. B., Xanthopoulou, D., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). The gain spiral of resources and work engagement: Sustaining a positive work life. In A. B. Bakker & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 118–131). Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauls, D., Zeigler-Hill, V., Vrabel, J. K., & Lehtman, M. J. (2019). How do narcissists get what they want from their romantic partners? The connections that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry have with influence strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 147, 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Van Rhenen, W. (2009). How changes in job demands and resources predict burnout, work engagement, and sickness absenteeism. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30(7), 893–917.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1996). The Maslach Burnout Inventory—General survey. In C. Maslach, S. E. Jackson, & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Maslach Burnout Inventory (pp. 19–26). Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholer, A. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2010). Regulatory focus in a demanding world. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of personality and self-regulation (pp. 291–314). Blackwell.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K. M., & Kasser, T. (2008). Psychological threat and extrinsic goal striving. Motivation and Emotion, 32(1), 37–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi, J., Johnson, R. E., Liu, Y., & Wang, M. (2012). Linking subordinate political skill to supervisor dependence and reward recommendations: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 374–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skarlicki, D. P., Van Jaarsveld, D. D., & Walker, D. D. (2008). Getting even for customer mistreatment: The role of moral identity in the relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and employee sabotage. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1335–1347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. B., & Webster, B. D. (2017). A moderated mediation model of Machiavellianism, social undermining, political skill, and supervisor-rated job performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 453–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soltis, S. M., Brass, D. J., & Lepak, D. P. (2018). Social resource management: Integrating social network theory and human resource management. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 537–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sommovigo, V., Setti, I., O’Shea, D., & Argentero, P. (2020). Investigating employees’ emotional and cognitive reactions to customer mistreatment: An experimental study. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29(5), 707–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spector, P. E. (2011). The relationship of personality to counterproductive work behavior (CWB): An integration of perspectives. Human Resource Management Review, 21(4), 342–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Summers, J. K., Munyon, T. P., Brouer, R. L., Pahng, P., & Ferris, G. R. (2020). Political skill in the stressor - strain relationship: A meta-analytic update and extension. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118, 103372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, S., & van Emmerik, H. I. (2015). Are proactive personalities always beneficial? Political skill as a moderator. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(3), 966–975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tangirala, S., & Ramanujam, R. (2008). Employee silence on critical work issues: The cross-level effects of procedural justice climate. Personnel Psychology, 61, 37–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas-Hunt, M. C., Ogden, T. Y., & Neale, M. A. (2003). Who’s really sharing? Effects of social and expert status on knowledge exchange within groups. Management Science, 49(4), 464–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. W., Williams, L. M., Cho, J., Yang, J., & Ferris, G. R. (2013). Social influence and interpersonal power in organizations: Roles of performance and political skill in two studies. Journal of Management, 39(6), 1529–1553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treadway, D. C., Hochwarter, W. A., Ferris, G. R., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., Ammeter, A. P., & Buckley, M. R. (2004). Leader political skill and employee reactions. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(4), 493–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treadway, D. C., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., & Ferris, G. R. (2005). Political will, political skill, and political behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 26(3), 229–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Dijke, M., De Cremer, D., Mayer, D. M., & Van Quaquebeke, N. (2012). When does proceduralfairness promote organizational citizenship behavior? integrating empowering leadership types in relational justice models. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 117(2), 235–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldman, D. A., Wang, D., Hannah, S. T., Owens, B. P., & Balthazard, P. A. (2018). Psychological and neurological predictors of abusive supervision. Personnel Psychology, 71(3), 399–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, H. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2002). The performance of narcissists rises and falls with perceived opportunity for glory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(5), 819–834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M., Liao, H., Zhan, Y., & Shi, J. (2011). Daily customer mistreatment and employee sabotage against customers: Examining emotion and resource perspectives. The Academy of Management Journal, 54(2), 312–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, K., Macdonnell, R., & Dahl, D. W. (2011). It’s the mind-set that matters: The role of construal level and message framing in influencing consumer efficacy and conservation behaviors. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(3), 472–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitman, M. V., Halbesleben, J. R., & Shanine, K. K. (2013). Psychological entitlement and abusive supervision: Political skill as a self-regulatory mechanism. Health Care Management Review, 38(3), 248–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, S. D., & Williams, J. R. (2017). Employee narcissism’s implications for performance management: A review and research directions. Organization Management Journal, 14(4), 198–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, T., & Hu, C. (2009). Abusive supervision and employee emotional exhaustion: Dispositional antecedents and boundaries. Group and Organization Management, 34(2), 143–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wurst, S. N., Gerlach, T. M., Dufner, M., Rauthmann, J. F., Grosz, M. P., Küfner, A. C., Denissen, J. J., & Back, M. D. (2017). Narcissism and romantic relationships: The differential impact of narcissistic admiration and rivalry. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 112(2), 280–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, A., Hays, N. A., & Zhao, E. Y. (2019). Development of a bipartite measure of social hierarchy: The perceived power and perceived status scales. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 152, 84–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeigler-Hill, V., Vrabel, J. K., McCabe, G. A., Cosby, C. A., Traeder, C. K., Hobbs, K. A., & Southard, A. C. (2019). Narcissism and the pursuit of status. Journal of Personality, 87(2), 310–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H., Zhou, Z. E., Zhan, Y., Liu, C., & Zhang, L. (2018). Surface acting, emotional exhaustion, and employee sabotage to customers: Moderating roles of quality of social exchanges. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, Hitotsubashi University Business School, Hitotsubashi University, Kunitachi-shi Naka 2-1, Tokyo, 186-0004, Japan

    Ran Li

  2. Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road (Summer Palace Road), Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, People’s Republic of China

    Fan Yang

  3. Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, CUFE Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, 39 South College Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China

    Xiji Zhu

Authors
  1. Ran Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fan Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiji Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiji Zhu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. All co-authors have seen and agree with the contents of the manuscript and there is no financial nor non-financial interest to report. We certify that the submission is original work and is not under review at any other publication.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, R., Yang, F. & Zhu, X. The Janus Face of Grandiose Narcissism in the Service Industry: Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection. J Bus Ethics 183, 909–927 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05074-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05074-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation