Study links CEO narcissism to return-to-office demands
Wharton researchers found leaders who scored higher on narcissism measures were more likely to resist remote and hybrid work.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
A new Wharton study links CEO narcissism with tougher resistance to remote and hybrid work, according to Fortune. The findings add a less flattering explanation to the return-to-office push at large companies: some leaders may prefer the office because it makes power and status more visible.
The six-year study, co-authored by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, examined Fortune 500 chief executives and their views on flexible work, Fortune reported. Researchers found that higher narcissism scores were associated with stronger public opposition to remote and hybrid arrangements.
CEOs have often framed office mandates as a business need. Fortune cited Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s argument that in-person collaboration is “simpler and more effective,” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s criticism of video-call-heavy management as “management by Hollywood Squares,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri’s view that five office days support creativity, and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s suggestion that returning workers to offices could help fight inflation.
The Wharton researchers used behavioral indicators to estimate CEO narcissism, according to Fortune. Those indicators included the size of a CEO’s signature, the prominence of the CEO’s photo in annual reports and the pay gap between the CEO and peers.
According to Fortune, CEOs with higher scores were more likely to oppose flexible work publicly and to seek additional markers of status, such as becoming board chair. The study also included a separate experiment in which CEOs were prompted to think about assertive leadership styles associated with Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison; those participants then showed more opposition to working from home than a control group, Fortune reported.
Grant and his co-authors summarized their conclusion in a New York Times opinion essay. “The higher the opinions of themselves leaders expressed, the more they coveted power and status—and the more they favored return-to-office mandates,” the authors wrote.
The researchers said ego may be causing executives to discount potential advantages of flexible work, according to Fortune. Fortune also pointed to research suggesting working from home can be as effective as, or more effective than, office work, and to a Nature study indicating employees value flexible arrangements.
The study does not say every office mandate rests on narcissism. Fortune reported that the researchers allow that companies may have valid reasons to bring employees back, but they warn that status-driven leadership can push companies toward rigid policies that may work against employee preferences and business interests.
The finding puts a sharper edge on a debate that has run through corporate America since pandemic-era remote work became common. According to the Wharton study as reported by Fortune, the fight over where employees work may reflect not only productivity theories and collaboration goals, but also how some leaders want authority to be seen.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.