Investigating the influence of dual narcissism on entrepreneurial intention with psychological empowerment

Purpose - The purpose of this research study is to recognize the significance of entrepreneurial psychology. This was achieved by assessing the relationship between the dark personality traits and entrepreneurial intention (EI). This study examined the interrelationship between dual narcissism traits and EI. The authors specifically focused on Narcissistic Admiration (NA) and Narcissistic Rivalry (NR), with particular emphasis on the mediating role of Psychological Empowerment (PE). Design/methodology/approach - This study used a descriptive quantitative research approach to investigate the research model and to test the hypothesis. Data collection involved administering structured questionnaires with nonprobability sampling to obtain data from 340 incubated entrepreneurs. Researchers used partial least squares structured equation modeling for data analysis. Findings - The study findings indicated that NA had a significant impact on both PE and EI, whereas NR substantially impacted PE but not on EI. Furthermore, the results revealed that PE served as a partial mediator between NA and EI, whereas PE acted as a full mediator between NR and EI. Research limitations/implications - This study contributed to the literature on EI. This study examined the theoretical interrelationship between dual narcissism, specifically NA and NR, with EI while emphasizing the mediating role of PE. Practical implications - As an emerging nation, India requires more entrepreneurs and more examples of successful entrepreneurship. This study insights would help entrepreneurs to manage their entrepreneurial ventures better. This would be realized by entrepreneurs with better comprehension of NA, NR and PE, which would finally enable the achievement of higher levels of EI. Originality/value - To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study was one of the first empirical investigations that distinguished between the two aspects of narcissistic personality: admiration and rivalry. This demonstrated the differential impact on EI. This study made a valuable addition to the theoretical domain of entrepreneurial psychology. This was achieved by highlighting the important role of PE in the association between dual narcissism and the intent of potential entrepreneurs.