Managerial Egocentricity and Subordinates’ Career Sustainability: The Role of Emotional Disengagement

Drawing on the conservation of resources (CoR) theory, this study examines the impact of egocentric managers on their subordinates’ emotional engagement and career sustainability. Time-lagged data were collected from 282 early- and mid-career banking professionals through an online questionnaire. The proposed model was assessed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), revealing that managers who exhibit more egocentricity negatively influence subordinates’ emotional engagement, which, in turn, reduces their ability to sustain their careers. The study further shows that employees’ emotional disengagement partially mediates the relationship between a manager’s egocentricity and subordinates’ career sustainability. The study concludes by discussing theoretical and practical implications and offering directions for future research.