Narcissistic and Workaholic Leaders Guide Young Firms to Success
Scientists at HSE University—St. Petersburg studied how the founder's personal characteristics impact a young firm's performance. It turns out that a narcissist and workaholic who also fosters innovation will effectively grow their company. The paper has been published in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.
Companies in the early stages of development are highly dependent on their founders, making the leader's personal characteristics crucial in either enhancing or undermining the firm's performance. Scientists of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Centre at HSE University—St. Petersburg and students of the St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management studied the impact of founders' workaholism and narcissism on the performance of young companies. Additionally, they examined the effect of innovation on the firm's results. This study is part of a project aimed at investigating student entrepreneurship and identifying factors that encourage proactive behaviour in young people. The project was implemented with support from the HSE Basic Research Programme.
Galina Shirokova
'It is believed that business model innovation is not relevant to a young firm that has only recently developed its business model. Research on this topic is scarce and primarily focuses on established companies. We hypothesized that in our evolving market, young firms must actively adapt to the constantly changing environment, so the introduction of innovation can positively impact their performance,' according to Galina Shirokova, Director of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Centre.
To test the study's hypotheses, the researchers used Russian data from the 2021 Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey (GUESSS). The survey aims to assess students' entrepreneurial intentions and activities, along with the key factors influencing them. Data from GUESSS is extensively used by business and management scholars around the world.
The Russian researchers focused on the leaders of young firms that have been in the market for 2 to 10 years. The final sample comprised 205 students—founders of firms, most of which were small, with an average staff of four people. Among them, 18.05% were involved in trade, 14.63% in education and training, and 13.17% in advertising and marketing. The average age of respondents was 22 years. The majority of respondents—77.7%—were enrolled in bachelor's programmes, with 33.17% pursuing education in business and management.
Selected participants completed an online questionnaire in which most responses were measured on a Likert scale, assessing the degree of agreement or disagreement with each statement, ranging from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree.' Thus, respondents assessed the company's sales, market share, and profit growth relative to key competitors using a 7-point scale, where 1 represented 'very poor' and 7 represented 'very good.'
When measuring business model innovation, respondents were first prompted with the phrase: 'Indicate your level of agreement with the following statement about your company over the past three years (1 - strongly disagree, 7 - strongly agree).' The questions addressed changes in core competencies, revenue mechanisms, and target customers.
In a questionnaire used to assess workaholism, participants indicated their level of agreement with various statements, such as: 'It’s important for me to work hard even when I don’t enjoy what I’m doing'. When assessing narcissism, respondents indicated how true statements such as 'I tend to seek prestige or status' were for them. A 7-point Likert scale was also used, where 1 represented 'strongly disagree' and 7 represented 'strongly agree.'
After analysing the data, the researchers concluded that there was a positive relationship between business model innovation and young firm performance. This finding supports the resource-based view of firms, which suggests that organisations can achieve a competitive advantage through the development of unique resources and capabilities, including innovations.
At the same time, the workaholism and narcissism of the founder have a reinforcing effect on the positive impact of business model innovation on the young firm performance. These research findings align with the theory of strategic leadership, which states that leaders with a clear vision for their company's development foster innovation and inspire employees to work productively.
'This is an important practical insight for potential investors: a narcissistic and workaholic leader can guide a young firm to success. The key is not to be afraid to innovate and continuously seek unconventional solutions to establish your position in the market,' Galina Shirokova stressed.
The paper was prepared within the framework of the Strategic Project 'Success and Self-Sustainability of the Individual in a Changing World', 'Autonomy and Proactive Behaviour' subproject, implemented as part of the 'Priority 2030' programme.
See also:
Men Behind the Wheel: Three Times More Violations and Accidents than Women
Men are three times more likely than women to commit traffic violations while driving and to be involved in accidents. Moreover, they are more likely to create situations on the road that are highly dangerous to others. Men are also twice as likely to drive under the influence and nearly one-third more likely to receive a prison sentence for reckless driving. Perhaps it comes down to cultural norms and the different attitudes men and women have toward driving. These are the conclusions reached by Anton Kazun, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, and Research Assistant Mikhail Belov.
HSE Scientists Discover How to Predict Charitable Behaviour Through Physiological Reactions
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have investigated how the emotional impact of advertising affects the amount people willing to donate to support animal welfare. To accomplish this, the researchers measured physiological responses such as heart rate, electrodermal activity, and facial expressions in individuals viewing various photos of dogs. The findings indicate that willingness to donate is most accurately predicted by heart rate and facial muscle activation. The study has been published in Social Psychology.
'We Are Creating the Medicine of the Future'
Dr Gerwin Schalk is a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai and a partner of the HSE Centre for Language and Brain within the framework of the strategic project 'Human Brain Resilience.' Dr Schalk is known as the creator of BCI2000, a non-commercial general-purpose brain-computer interface system. In this interview, he discusses modern neural interfaces, methods for post-stroke rehabilitation, a novel approach to neurosurgery, and shares his vision for the future of neurotechnology.
First Successful Attempt in 55 years: Physicists in Russia and Germany Confirm 1969 Experiment Results
A team of researchers, with the participation of physicists from HSE University, replicated the 1969 experiment on superconductivity and its properties. The scientists induced superconductivity by deliberately deteriorating the interfaces between the layers of superconductors and ferromagnets in the system, resulting in better performance of spin valves compared to the classical version, where the interfaces between the layers are ideal. This approach could lead to the development of more efficient devices for data storage and computing. The study findings have been published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.
Healthy Nutrition Saves Public Funds: Strategies to Reduce Healthcare Costs in Russia
In Russia, the annual cost of treating type 2 diabetes alone exceeds 500 billion roubles. Promoting healthy nutrition programmes can ease the burden on the healthcare system and increase life expectancy. This was the conclusion reached by economists at HSE University after analysing global experiences with government involvement in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Conscientious Individuals Live Longer
Personality traits such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, and an internal locus of control significantly influence one's lifestyle and longevity. Not only can personality traits influence health through beneficial and harmful habits but can also have a direct effect on mortality. Higher conscientiousness reduces the risk of premature death by 20 percentage points, while higher neuroticism increases it by 12 percentage points. These are the findings from a new study by Ksenia Rozhkova, Junior Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Labour Market Studies of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences.
HSE and Integration Education Centre to Develop New Programmes for Agrobiotech Advancement
HSE University and ANO Integration plan to jointly develop projects aimed at creating new approaches to education and advancing innovative agrobiotechnologies. The parties signed the corresponding agreement at the XI Congress ‘Innovative Practice: Science Plus Business.’
Virtual Mozart, Venture Capital Bot, and Educational Video Generation: How AI is Used at HSE University
In mid-November, HSE University hosted a meetup where faculty, researchers, and administrators presented their projects and shared experiences with using AI technologies in education and research. The meeting was part of the continuing professional development programme 'Artificial Intelligence in Education and Research.'
Esports Players Play Better Online
In competitions, esports players, like other athletes, face stress and show worse results due to pressure. A substantial decrease takes place in the performance of esports players during overtime. This effect, however, is significantly mitigated in online competitions compared to live events—the difference can reach 30%. A study by a team of authors from HSE University’s Moscow and Perm campuses and European University Viadrina (Germany) explores the phenomenon of choking under pressure within the context of esports. The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.
Analysing Genetic Information Can Help Prevent Complications after Myocardial Infarction
Researchers at HSE University have developed a machine learning (ML) model capable of predicting the risk of complications—major adverse cardiac events—in patients following a myocardial infarction. For the first time, the model incorporates genetic data, enabling a more accurate assessment of the risk of long-term complications. The study has been published in Frontiers in Medicine.