Exploring the Impact of Leader Narcissism on Work-Family Domains and the Shielding Role of Self-Monitoring

This study examines the complex interplay between leader narcissism, job stress, work-family conflict, and the moderating role of self-monitoring. Grounded in the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the research posits that leader narcissism, as a component of the dark triad personalities, significantly contributes to increased job stress, subsequently exacerbating work-family conflict among employees. By gathering data from full-time employees in the United States via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), the findings revealed a significant and direct relationship between leader narcissism and job stress, and between job stress and work-family conflict. Additionally, self-monitoring was found to moderate the relationship between leader narcissism and job stress, suggesting its potential as a coping resource. The results underscore the detrimental impact of narcissistic leadership on family domains and highlight the importance of self-monitoring in mitigating these effects. This research contributes to the organizational behavior literature by providing insights into the mechanisms through which leader narcissism influences employee well-being and underscores the need for interventions to enhance self-monitoring skills among employees.