IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jbusin/v4y2024i3p21-346d1450284.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Examining Dark Triad Traits in Formal Leaders and Their Impact on Employee Workplace Stress: A Comparative Study of Family and Non-Family Businesses

Author

Listed:
  • Duarte Pimentel

    (School of Psychology, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
    TERINOV—Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Ilha Terceira, PCT Ilha Terceira, 9700-702 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal)

  • Sofia Lagarto

    (School of Psychology, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Pedro Marques-Quinteiro

    (School of Economic Sciences and Organizations, Lusófona University, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

This paper aims to explore differences between the perception of dark traits in formal leaders and levels of workplace stress among employees working in family and non-family businesses. Furthermore, we assess if the company nature (family-owned versus non-family-owned) moderates the relationship between the employees’ perception of dark triad traits in their formal leaders and their workplace stress levels. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 220 Portuguese employees who responded to a questionnaire that included their perceptions of their formal leaders’ dark triad traits and workplace stress measures. All respondents are employed in small and medium-sized private companies, holding no management responsibilities and under formal hierarchical supervision. The initial ideas that family firms’ employees perceive higher levels of dark triad traits in their formal leaders than non-family firms’ employees and that they also show higher levels of workplace stress than non-family firms’ employees were confirmed. The results also support the notion that higher perceptions of dark triad traits in formal leaders are related with higher levels of workplace stress of employees and that the company nature significantly moderates this relationship. These findings enhance the research literature by addressing two often overlooked aspects in the comparison between family and non-family firms. Additionally, they provide valuable insights into the relationship between dark triad traits in formal leaders and employee workplace stress levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Duarte Pimentel & Sofia Lagarto & Pedro Marques-Quinteiro, 2024. "Examining Dark Triad Traits in Formal Leaders and Their Impact on Employee Workplace Stress: A Comparative Study of Family and Non-Family Businesses," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jbusin:v:4:y:2024:i:3:p:21-346:d:1450284
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/4/3/21/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/4/3/21/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clive Boddy, 2014. "Corporate Psychopaths, Conflict, Employee Affective Well-Being and Counterproductive Work Behaviour," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 107-121, April.
    2. Michael Carney, 2005. "Corporate Governance and Competitive Advantage in Family–Controlled Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(3), pages 249-265, May.
    3. Tim Barnett & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2006. "Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees’ Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 837-854, November.
    4. Shaker A. Zahra & James C. Hayton & Carlo Salvato, 2004. "Entrepreneurship in Family vs. Non–Family Firms: A Resource–Based Analysis of the Effect of Organizational Culture," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 363-381, July.
    5. Eddleston, Kimberly A. & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2007. "Destructive and productive family relationships: A stewardship theory perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 545-565, July.
    6. Susanne Braun & Nilüfer Aydin & Dieter Frey & Claudia Peus, 2018. "Leader Narcissism Predicts Malicious Envy and Supervisor-Targeted Counterproductive Work Behavior: Evidence from Field and Experimental Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 725-741, September.
    7. Martina Sageder & Christine Mitter & Birgit Feldbauer‐Durstmüller, 2018. "Image and reputation of family firms: a systematic literature review of the state of research," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 335-377, January.
    8. Habbershon, Timothy G. & Williams, Mary & MacMillan, Ian C., 2003. "A unified systems perspective of family firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 451-465, July.
    9. William S. Schulze & Michael H. Lubatkin & Richard N. Dino & Ann K. Buchholtz, 2001. "Agency Relationships in Family Firms: Theory and Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 99-116, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schickinger, Antonia & Bierl, Philipp A. & Leitterstorf, Max P. & Kammerlander, Nadine, 2023. "Family-related goals, entrepreneurial investment behavior, and governance mechanisms of single family offices: An exploratory study," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    2. Guidice, Rebecca M. & Mero, Neal P. & Greene, Juanne V., 2013. "Perceptions of accountability in family business: Using accountability theory to understand differences between family and nonfamily executives," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 233-244.
    3. Llach, Josep & Sanchez-Famoso, Valeriano & Danes, Sharon M., 2023. "Unmasking nonfamily employees’ complex contribution to family business performance: A place identity theory approach," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(4).
    4. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Allison W. Pearson & Tim Barnett, 2012. "Family Involvement, Family Influence, and Family–Centered Non–Economic Goals in Small Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(2), pages 267-293, March.
    5. Flamini, Giulia & Pittino, Daniel & Visintin, Francesca, 2022. "Family leadership, family involvement and mutuality HRM practices in family SMEs," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(2).
    6. Josip Kotlar & Philipp Sieger, 2019. "Bounded Rationality and Bounded Reliability: A Study of Nonfamily Managers’ Entrepreneurial Behavior in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(2), pages 251-273, March.
    7. James J. Chrisman & Lloyd P. Steier & Jess H. Chua, 2006. "Personalism, Particularism, and the Competitive Behaviors and Advantages of Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 719-729, November.
    8. Sieger, Philipp & Bernhard, Fabian & Frey, Urs, 2011. "Affective commitment and job satisfaction among non-family employees: Investigating the roles of justice perceptions and psychological ownership," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 78-89, June.
    9. Francesco Aiello & Paola Cardamone & Lidia Mannarino & Valeria Pupo, 2021. "Green patenting and corporate social responsibility: Does family involvement in business matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1386-1396, July.
    10. Erik Lundmark & Anna Krzeminska & Dean A. Shepherd, 2019. "Images of Entrepreneurship: Exploring Root Metaphors and Expanding Upon Them," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(1), pages 138-170, January.
    11. Yan Ling & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2010. "The Effects of Family Firm Specific Sources of TMT Diversity: The Moderating Role of Information Exchange Frequency," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 322-344, March.
    12. David G. Sirmon & Jean–Luc Arregle & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb, 2008. "The Role of Family Influence in Firms’ Strategic Responses to Threat of Imitation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 979-998, November.
    13. Concepción Garcés-Ayerbe & Pilar Rivera-Torres & Josefina L. Murillo-Luna & Cristina Suárez-Gálvez, 2022. "Does it pay more to be green in family firms than in non-family firms?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1365-1386, July.
    14. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Franz Kellermanns, 2009. "Priorities, Resource Stocks, and Performance in Family and Nonfamily Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(3), pages 739-760, May.
    15. Victoria Antin Yates & James M. Vardaman & James J. Chrisman, 2023. "Social network research in the family business literature: a review and integration," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1323-1345, April.
    16. Tim Barnett & Rebecca G. Long & Laura E. Marler, 2012. "Vision and Exchange in Intra–Family Succession: Effects on Procedural Justice Climate among Nonfamily Managers," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1207-1225, November.
    17. Ismael Barros-Contreras & Héctor Pérez-Fernández & Natalia Martín-Cruz & Juan Hernangómez B., 2023. "Can we make family social capital flourish? The moderating role of generational involvement," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 655-673, September.
    18. Himani Chahal, 2024. "Family Versus External Block Holders’ Ownership and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 17(1), pages 63-76, June.
    19. Mangiò, Federico & Mismetti, Marco & Lissana, Elena & Andreini, Daniela, 2023. "That's the Press, Baby! How journalists co-create family business brands meanings: A mixed method analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    20. James J. Chrisman & Esra Memili & Kaustav Misra, 2014. "Nonfamily Managers, Family Firms, and the Winner's Curse: The Influence of Noneconomic Goals and Bounded Rationality," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(5), pages 1-25, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jbusin:v:4:y:2024:i:3:p:21-346:d:1450284. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.