Designing a Model of Managerial Narcissism Based on Upper Echelons Theory in Iranian Public Organizations
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed to develop a model of managerial narcissism in Iranian public organizations based on Upper Echelons Theory and to explain the cognitive, behavioral, relational, and strategic mechanisms through which managers’ narcissistic characteristics are translated into organizational decisions and orientations. This applied qualitative study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 academic and organizational experts selected using purposive sampling, with interviews continuing until data adequacy and saturation were achieved. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis through basic, organizing, and global themes. Content validity was evaluated using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI), while reliability was examined through test–retest coding and inter-coder agreement. The analysis yielded 73 basic themes, 24 organizing themes, and eight global themes: self-centered credibility building, individual superiority perception, organizational dominance, cognitive–behavioral self-protection, erosion of organizational relationships and collaboration, responsibility and ethical deviations, risk-inducing strategic management, and reproduction of narcissism. The overall CVR was 0.769 and the CVI was 3.441. Test–retest reliability reached 92.65%, while inter-coder reliability was 86.45%, supporting the validity and reliability of the extracted thematic structure. Managerial narcissism in public organizations represents a multilevel phenomenon through which managers’ psychological characteristics are transmitted, via cognitive filters and personal preferences, to patterns of power exercise, information processing, professional relationships, accountability, and strategic decision-making. Organizational conditions, particularly feedback systems, accountability mechanisms, and concentration of managerial authority, may either reinforce or constrain these tendencies. Effective management of managerial narcissism therefore requires simultaneous attention to managers’ behavioral characteristics and to organizational structures that facilitate or inhibit their expression.
DOI: 10.61838/medda.639
Institution: Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd Branch
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7223439987