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After-work unhealthy eating, work-induced ego depletion, and abusive supervision: the moderating role of narcissistic admiration and rivalry

Author

Listed:
  • Gan, Xiaoyu
  • Topakas, Anna
  • Hildenbrand, Kristin
  • Ng, Kara
  • Patterson, Malcolm

Abstract

Abusive supervision, a harmful pattern of leadership behaviour, has consistently been found to have negative effects in the workplace. Drawing on self-regulation and the work-home resources model, we investigate the daily antecedents of abusive supervision from the work (ego depletion) and nonwork (unhealthy eating) domains. We examine leaders' narcissistic personality as an important boundary condition of the relationship between after-work unhealthy eating and next-day abusive supervision. Using Dynamic Structural Equation Modelling, we analysed daily diary data from 112 leaders and 225 followers across five organizations in China over 10 working days. We find that the work-induced ego depletion of leaders predicts their after-work unhealthy eating behaviours. The relationship between after-work unhealthy eating and next-day abusive supervision is contingent on leader narcissism: it is negative only at high levels of leader narcissistic admiration and positive at all levels of leader narcissistic rivalry, with the effect being stronger at higher levels of rivalry. Leader narcissism also moderates the indirect link between ego depletion and next-day abusive supervision through after-work unhealthy eating (moderated mediation). Our findings demonstrate the work–nonwork–work resource depletion spiral, provide insights into the interplay between daily factors and individual traits, and reveal some nuanced precursors of abusive supervision.

Suggested Citation

  • Gan, Xiaoyu & Topakas, Anna & Hildenbrand, Kristin & Ng, Kara & Patterson, Malcolm, 2026. "After-work unhealthy eating, work-induced ego depletion, and abusive supervision: the moderating role of narcissistic admiration and rivalry," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 138907, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:138907
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    File URL: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/138907/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Iris K. Gauglitz & Birgit Schyns, 2024. "Triggered Abuse: How and Why Leaders with Narcissistic Rivalry React to Follower Deviance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 193(1), pages 115-131, August.
    2. Deng, Hong & Wu, Chia-Huei & Leung, Kwok & Guan, Yan-Jun, 2016. "Depletion from self-regulation: a resource-based account of the effect of value incongruence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60978, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Iris K. Gauglitz & Birgit Schyns & Theresa Fehn & Astrid Schütz, 2023. "The Dark Side of Leader Narcissism: The Relationship Between Leaders’ Narcissistic Rivalry and Abusive Supervision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 169-184, June.
    4. Theresa Fehn & Astrid Schütz, 2021. "What You Get is What You See: Other-Rated but not Self-Rated Leaders’ Narcissistic Rivalry Affects Followers Negatively," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(3), pages 549-566, December.
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    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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