Date of Award
Summer 7-8-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration
Department
Management
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. James Meurs
Second Advisor
Dr. Joshua Palmer
Third Advisor
Dr. Graham Lowman
Abstract
In contemporary organizational research, the intersection of dark tetrad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and their influence on leadership behaviors has garnered significant attention. Through the lens of trait activation theory, I examined aggressive behaviors exhibited by dark tetrad leaders towards their subordinates, primarily as a mechanism to fulfill their self-serving agendas. The study also assessed dark tetrad leaders' perception of politics, thereby triggering leader concerns over losing out on opportunities for advancement or influence, thus intensifying feelings of fear of missing out (FOMO).
Data was collected from business leaders in the United States. The final sample consisted of 379 leaders who supervised one or more subordinates. The results indicated that FOMO affects subordinates' social undermining. However, the perception of organizational politics (POPS) did not influence the relationship between leaders’ dark tetrad traits and social undermining. Conversely, the indirect effects indicated that psychopathy and POPS directly affect FOMO. Additionally, post hoc analysis suggests that narcissistic leaders demonstrate higher levels of FOMO. Furthermore, the post-hoc analysis suggests that when leaders experience FOMO, they may intend to abuse their subordinates or peers. Moreover, it was found that when leaders experience FOMO, they may be more likely to socially undermine their subordinates or peers.
It is recommended that future researchers investigate these relationships and consider alternative situational cues that trigger behaviors, such as social undermining of their subordinates. In addition, future research should consider collecting data from sectors where POPs may be the norm. Lastly, studies should further examine how the nature of certain work environments exacerbates the effects of FOMO among leaders and their subordinates.