NARCISSISTIC LEADERSHIP AS A DETERMINANT OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, CULTURE, AND ETHICAL CLIMATE

Abstract

The study examines the impact of narcissistic leadership on organizational behavior, the transformation of organizational culture, and ethical climate. The purpose is to substantiate this influence by identifying the relationship between leader behavior, employee responses, changes in organizational norms and values, and organizational integrity. The study systematizes the main behavioral manifestations of narcissistic leadership, including rejection of alternative opinions, excessive confidence in the leader’s own correctness, negative reactions to criticism and disagreement, surrounding oneself with loyal supporters, shifting responsibility, tolerance of unethical practices, manipulation of information, and aggressive communication. The corresponding employee responses and organizational consequences are identified. Particular attention is paid to the mechanism through which repeated patterns of leader behavior may contribute to employee behavioral adaptation, changes in group processes, and the consolidation of specific organizational norms and values. The study demonstrates that narcissistic leadership may contribute to a culture characterized by fear, blame, silence, and behavioral conformity. Such an environment can reduce trust, openness, cooperation, information sharing, and employees’ willingness to express alternative opinions or raise problematic issues. The ethical dimension of narcissistic leadership is examined through its relationship with organizational integrity and ethical climate. Tolerance of deception, manipulation, unethical practices, and avoidance of responsibility may weaken the role of formal ethical standards and contribute to the normalization of questionable behavior. An authorial approach to systematizing the transformational impact of narcissistic leadership is proposed, based on the interconnectedness of leader behavior, employee behavioral adaptation, group processes, organizational culture, ethical climate, and organizational integrity. The scientific novelty lies in shifting the analytical focus from narcissistic leadership as an individual characteristic of a manager toward understanding its potential systemic consequences for the organization. The proposed approach can be used to identify organizational risks and to develop measures aimed at maintaining openness, trust, cooperation, ethical standards, and organizational integrity.