Duplicitous Me: Communal Narcissists and Public Service Motivation

Abstract

This article explores communal narcissism and a possible dark side of public service motivation (PSM) in the context of employment sector. Personality psychology insights are offered to further develop PSM theory and practice from multidisciplinary angles. PSM is thought to characterize a public service ethic with public and nonprofit sector employees possessing other-directed, and perhaps communal values, rather than the self-directed, agentic values characterizing private sector organizations. However, PSM’s prosocial bias often discounts self-interested and mixed-motive interests. Unlike agentic narcissism, in which self-aggrandizement is more apparent to others, in communal narcissism, self-aggrandizement is hidden by a “saint-type bias” and self-proclaimed other-orientation. As a result, some communal narcissism traits appear to mimic dimensions of the PSM scale. The results of two studies reveal that communal narcissism positively associates with PSM. In addition, PSM positively relates to the nonprofit sector and mediates indirect, positive relationships between communal narcissism and the nonprofit sector.

Communal narcissism, self-motives, and work effort

“…Our results highlight the case in which communal narcissistic individuals can provide positive benefits, such as high work effort. Some authors highlighted the need to rehabilitate personalities considered difficult or malevolent in order to encourage compliance with institutional norms or rules (Fennimore, 2021). Aligning organizational goals with the personal motivations of people with narcissistic tendencies could lead to obvious benefits in terms of engagement in work tasks.…”

Promote or Deter: How Organizations Influence Public Service Motivation

“…The literature on dark PSM has also explored the critique that individuals with PSM are as altruistic as may be assumed. Fennimore (2021) found a “robust relationship” between PSM and communal narcissism (p. 44). Acknowledging that PSM is influenced by the institution creates a need for understanding the unique context of individual organizations (Vandenabeele et al, 2014).…”

The Role of Public Service Motivation Research in Overcoming the Identity Crisis of Public Administration: Potential and Progress

“…Konu edilen belirleyenlerin önemli bir kısmı demografik değişkenlerdir. Bu çerçevede; cinsiyet (Fennimore, 2020), eğitim (S. Kim, 2021), meslek (Yung, 2014) gibi değişkenlerin KHG üzerindeki etkisi sorgulanmıştır. Demografik değişkenler dışında siyasa değişikliği (Jensen, 2018) ve gönüllülük faaliyetleri (Ward, 2014) gibi toplumsal, kişilik (van Witteloostuijn vd., 2017 gibi bireysel düzlemdeki değişkenlerin de KHG ile ilişkilendirildiği görülmektedir.…”