Narcissism and Entrepreneurial Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Equity Ranking and Industry Attention

Why do some entrepreneurs experience higher levels of well-being? While prior research has extensively investigated various determinants of entrepreneurial well-being, this study advances the literature by examining the unique role of narcissism in shaping entrepreneurs' well-being. We propose that a narcissistic personality-characterized by heightened self-focus and need for recognition-interacts with contextual factors to enhance well-being. Specifically, narcissistic entrepreneurs' well-being increases when equity ranking is high and industry attention is salient. Using a multi-method approach, combining survey data from 165 Chinese entrepreneurs with archival data, we demonstrate that narcissism positively predicts well-being, with effects amplified by both high equity ranking and industry attention. In doing so, this study contributes to research on well-being and narcissistic personality in entrepreneurial contexts.