Communal narcissism, self-motives, and work effort

Abstract

Communal narcissists amplify their prosocial traits and consider themselves saintly individuals. However, communal narcissistic self-enhancement can foster or block one’s willingness to be actively involved in the workplace or in solving tasks by making a systematic effort. The present study explored the relationship between communal narcissistic features (i.e., present, and future-related thoughts), self-motives (i.e., self-leadership, power-seeking, and desire for fame), and work effort among a convenience sample composed of university students (N = 489). We analyzed three parallel mediation models to assess the indirect effect of communal narcissistic features on work effort via self-motives. Results indicated that communal narcissism positively correlated with self-motives and work effort. Moreover, communal narcissistic and present-future-related thoughts had similar indirect associations with work effort through self-leadership strategies, desire for power, and fame. The relationship between communal narcissistic features, self-motives, and work effort can have important implications for organizations, which were discussed.