Due to the fact that most personality examinations concentrate on the Chief Executive Officer, this master thesis provides an explanation for the gap in empirical studies regarding the traits narcissism, overconfidence and extraversion in the top executive team. The purpose is to state why the remaining executive team is not targeted yet in personality research. With the help of a literature review on 80 journals, the obstacles on analyzing character traits in top managers are taken into account. Hereby, the research settings are divided into two main categories: self-report measures and the outsider perspective, which uses unobtrusive indicators or linguistic features in order to detect the three traits. In this context, similarities and differences are specified and several limitations on converting current research designs towards the board team are pointed out. Further, this paper criticizes measurement methods which use unobtrusive indicators, as they do not consider the importance of the Top Management Team (TMT) as an intervening mechanism. As a last step, this thesis provides a summary on the contributions to the gap in literature and recommends future research to stronger include the top team in regard of character attributes in order to detect firm performance more precisely.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Motivation and Problem identification
1.2 Methodological approach
2 Theoretical Background
2.1 Definition Narcissism
2.1.1 Impacts of grandiose vs. vulnerable Narcissism
2.2 Definition Overconfidence
2.2.1 Impacts of CEO Overconfidence
2.3 Definition Extraversion
2.3.1 Impacts of Extraversion in leadership
3 Theoretical models
3.1 Personality trait models
4 Empirical research designs and results
4.1 Measuring narcissism
4.2 Measurement designs for CEO overconfidence
4.3 Measurement options and contradictions in extraversion
4.4 The relationship of narcissism, overconfidence and extraversion
5 Personality traits in the Top Management Team
5.1 TMT relationships with the CEO
5.2 Measurement methods and limitations for the TMT
6 Contribution and limitations
7 Summary and Conclusion
8 List of References
Appendix-A-Figures
Appendix-B-Tables
Appendix-C- Literature review
Research Objective and Key Themes
This master thesis investigates the gap in empirical research regarding personality traits—specifically narcissism, overconfidence, and extraversion—within the Top Management Team (TMT), arguing that most current studies focus disproportionately on the individual CEO rather than the broader leadership team.
- Theoretical analysis of personality traits in executive leadership.
- Critical review of measurement methods (self-report versus unobtrusive indicators).
- Evaluation of the interplay between CEO personality and the Top Management Team.
- Investigation of the moderating role of the TMT in firm performance.
- Synthesis of research limitations and implications for future personality studies.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Motivation and Problem identification
Expectations on leaders are continuously rising due to the dynamic world. Davies and Davies (2004) state that a leader should include personal characteristics such as dissatisfaction with the present, absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity and wisdom. Leadership includes relationships based on individuals handing over their power for others to define and interpret reality. The concept of leadership depending on direction and control is deeply profound in plenty of organizations today, while extreme cases link an absence of leadership with an absence of companies. (Smircich & Morgan, 1982).
On the one hand, this implies that leaders need to be confident and secure in order to thrive firms effectiveness, resist pressure and to fulfill expectations for the organization. Due to the amount of responsibilities, personality traits of leaders are an important building block as those affect own and companies success (Kirkpatick & Locke, 1991). On the other hand, there is proof that also the board team is directly related to firms success. Second, the team of top executives in an organization moved into the focus due to dissatisfaction with leadership trait research. Yet, no distinction between leaders and the Top Management Team (TMT) occurred as they are often consolidated into a single category (Peterson, Smith, Martorana and Oewns, 2003).
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: Introduces the rising demands on leadership and identifies the critical research gap concerning personality traits within the Top Management Team compared to the individual CEO focus.
2 Theoretical Background: Defines the core concepts of narcissism, overconfidence, and extraversion, exploring their origins, definitions, and impacts on organizational behavior.
3 Theoretical models: Reviews established personality frameworks including the P-E-N System, the Big Five Model, and the HEXACO model as a foundation for empirical research.
4 Empirical research designs and results: Critically evaluates the techniques used to measure personality traits, highlighting the shift from self-report measures to unobtrusive, outsider-perspective indicators.
5 Personality traits in the Top Management Team: Examines the interplay between CEO personality and other TMT members, emphasizing the board as an intervening mechanism for firm outcomes.
6 Contribution and limitations: Summarizes the thesis' academic contributions and acknowledges the constraints regarding sample representativeness and methodological challenges.
7 Summary and Conclusion: Provides a final synthesis of the key findings, reiterating that future research must view the board as a collaborative social process rather than focusing solely on the CEO.
Keywords
Narcissism, Overconfidence, Extraversion, Top Management Team, TMT, CEO, Leadership Research, Personality Traits, Firm Performance, Methodology, Self-report Measures, Unobtrusive Indicators, Corporate Governance, Upper Echelons Theory, Behavioral Economics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The thesis focuses on the role of narcissism, overconfidence, and extraversion among leaders and argues for a shift in research focus from individual CEOs to the entire Top Management Team.
Which central personality traits are being analyzed?
The research analyzes three specific traits: narcissism, overconfidence, and extraversion, examining how each impacts leadership and organizational outcomes.
What is the primary research question?
The central question is: "Why is research on the personality attributes narcissism, overconfidence and extraversion restrained in the top management team?"
How does the author approach the scientific methodology?
The author conducts an extensive literature review of 80 scientific journals to evaluate existing research designs, comparing traditional self-report methods with emerging unobtrusive, indicator-based techniques.
What is explored in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical definitions of the chosen traits, an analysis of measurement designs, and a deep dive into the complex psychological interplay between the CEO and the broader TMT.
Which keywords best describe the work?
Key terms include narcissism, overconfidence, extraversion, Top Management Team (TMT), Upper Echelons Theory, and firm performance measurement.
Why is the TMT often overlooked in traditional leadership research?
Traditional research often consolidates the leadership category into the single figure of the CEO, which misses the complex intervening mechanisms and power dynamics of the rest of the board.
What does the author conclude regarding the measurement of personality traits?
The thesis concludes that while self-report measures have been standard, they are prone to social desirability bias, making unobtrusive indicators an essential, though currently limited, alternative for future research.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2020, Personality traits in the top management team. The role of Narcissism, Overconfidence and Extraversion, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1489585
