Puffed Up Creativity? The Relationship Between Grandiose Narcissism and Creativity: A Study of Chinese High-Tech Companies
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Prior research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the association between narcissism and creativity, possibly due to the neglect of different narcissism subtypes. The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between narcissism and creativity by introducing two distinct subtypes of narcissism, namely grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. A total of 571 employees (267 males, 304 females) from high-tech enterprises across 26 provinces in China completed measures of narcissism, creative performance, creative states, and self-esteem, following explicit instructions. The results indicated that participants with grandiose narcissism reported significantly higher levels of creativity states and fluency in creativity performance than those with vulnerable narcissism. Self-esteem mediated the relationship between both subtypes of narcissism and creativity. The implications of the revealed differential effects of grandiosity and vulnerability on creativity in the workplace were also discussed.
Source: Behavioral Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/bs15030273
Authors: Wen Zheng, Huihui Yu, Yu Gu, Yang Huang
Institutions: Capital Medical University, Peking University, Tsinghua University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,654
OpenAlex ID: W4407977250