Unmasking the Connection Between Managerial Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Leader–Member Exchange in the Singaporean Construction Industry: Managerial Corporate Psychopathic Behaviour as a Mediator

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the effect of managerial narcissism and Machiavellianism on leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and the mediating role of managerial corporate psychopathic behaviour in the aforementioned relationships. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to management professionals working in the Singaporean construction sector. A total of 300 responses were collected and analysed through SPSS version 26 and SmartPLS 4 software. The results demonstrated that managerial narcissism and Machiavellianism were negatively associated with LMX quality. The findings of this study showed that managerial narcissism and Machiavellianism facilitate managerial corporate psychopathic behaviour. The study also found that a negative relationship exists between managerial corporate psychopathic behaviour and LMX quality. Most importantly, the study provided valuable empirical evidence on the mediating effect of managerial corporate psychopathic behaviour in the relationships between narcissism and LMX quality and between Machiavellianism and LMX quality, thereby highlighting the underlying mechanism interconnecting the variables. Practically, this study draws attention to the need for construction corporations to create an organizational culture emphasizing collaboration instead of hierarchy and autocracy to minimize the indifference between managers and subordinates.