Saving the Planet, Saving the Team, and Shouting Down the Messenger: The Relationships Among Narcissism Subtypes and Misreporting of Emissions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines how three subtypes of narcissism—communal, antagonistic, and collective—relate to sustainability team members' willingness to misreport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Using survey‐based online experiments with experienced professionals from the United States and United Kingdom, we assess whether narcissistic traits predict compliance with a superior's request to manipulate GHG emission figures. Results show that all three narcissism types are positively associated with misreporting intentions, but through distinct motivations: communal narcissists seek social recognition, antagonistic narcissists act out of revenge, and collective narcissists aim to protect the sustainability team's reputation. These findings highlight that not all narcissistic tendencies manifest through overt egotism; some may appear altruistic or group‐oriented while still leading to unethical behavior. Our results contribute to research on GHG disclosure quality by focusing on individual‐level psychological antecedents and offer practical insights into personnel selection and the unintended consequences of recognition‐based incentives in sustainability reporting contexts.