Narcissism And Accounting Majors

Abstract

Narcissism is a personality trait that varies in individuals much like other characteristics. Accordingly, narcissism can positively or negatively impact the leadership style and career of business leaders. While personality research has examined the level of narcissism in college-aged students over the past 30 years, only recently has limited research examined narcissism in business students. Prior research has not examined accounting students. Using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), we assess the level of narcissism in accounting students at a public and private institution in the Midwest. Our findings show accounting students have a lower level of narcissism than other business students, both undergraduate and graduate, and the general population of college-age students. We find differences in the level of narcissism by gender and whether the student is a leader, or not, in student organizations. We also discuss implications for accounting education.