Behind the mask of narcissistic leadership: uncovering the mechanisms of knowledge sabotage among subordinates
Muhammad Rasyid Abdillah, Rizqa Anita, Weishen Wu, Nor Balkish Zakaria, Pankaewta LakkanawanitPurpose
This study aims to examine how narcissistic leadership motivates employees to engage in knowledge sabotage through perceived competitiveness and knowledge-based psychological ownership (KBPO).
Design/methodology/approach
A three-wave, time-lagged survey collected data from 282 full-time researchers in Indonesia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) tested the proposed mediation model.
Findings
Results show that narcissistic leaders catalyze subordinates’ knowledge sabotage directly and indirectly through perceived competitiveness and KBPO. By fostering competitive work climates and possessive orientations toward knowledge, it encourages knowledge sabotage.
Originality/value
This study extends destructive leadership literature by identifying narcissistic leadership as a covert yet consequential predictor of subordinates’ knowledge sabotage. It advances the application of social learning theory and cooperation–competition theory to explain how narcissistic leadership shapes counterproductive knowledge dynamics. The findings offer organizations guidance for mitigating sabotage in competitive, knowledge-driven workplace.