Exploring the Role of Moral Disengagement in the Link Between Perceived Narcissistic Supervision and Employees' Organizational Deviance: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Current research on leader narcissism has been predominantly centered on the intrapersonal perspective and discusses leader narcissism and associated behavioral outcomes. Few have adopted the interpersonal approach to explore the possible effects that leader narcissism can exert on their followers. Drawing on the social cognitive theory of moral disengagement, the present study aims to examine leader narcissism and followers' outcomes from the interpersonal perspective. We propose that perceived narcissistic supervision will lead to employees' organizational deviance via moral disengagement and that employees' moral identity will moderate the link between perceived narcissistic supervision and employees' moral disengagement; Moreover, there also exists a moderated mediation effect of employees' moral identity. Study 1, a three‐wave study conducted in 10 companies distributed among eight cities in China within 2 months, with a final sample containing 61 supervisors and 228 subordinates, preliminarily supported the main effect and the moderating effect of moral identity. In addition, we conducted a supplementary study on the basis of another three‐wave investigation with a sample of 195 employees, which replicated our research results in Study 1 and also verified the moderated mediation effect. Implications of the model are described, and future research directions are suggested.