CEO Narcissism: A Comparison of Several Unobtrusive Measures

As the chief executive officer (CEO) narcissism literature has matured, several empirical challenges have emerged. Existing research finds mixed statistical associations between CEO narcissism and outcomes of interest. Furthermore, studies have employed different empirical specifications when examining the association of CEO narcissism with outcomes of interest. These empirical challenges influence the validity of inferences made. This paper discusses the empirical specifications used and highlights the role they play. Several commonly used unobtrusive measures of CEO narcissism are uncorrelated within the sample. Moreover, the relationship between CEO narcissism and firm investment and financial performance depends on the measure of narcissism employed and empirical model choices made. recommendations for future research examining CEO narcissism are provided.