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:
HSE University Scholars Uncover E-Learning Preferences of Top Students
HSE University experts have analysed students’ digital footprints and shown for the first time that final grades depend on one’s personal approach to an online course. Balanced students have proven to be more successful than those who follow a more traditional and practical approach. The findings from this study will help create a more adaptive and personalised educational system. This research has been published in the journal The Internet and Higher Education.
HSE Scientists Develop Method to Stabilise Iodine in Solar Cells
Scientists at HSE MIEM, in collaboration with colleagues from China, have developed a method to improve the durability of perovskite solar cells by addressing iodine loss from the material. The researchers introduced quaternary ammonium molecules into the perovskite structure; these molecules form strong electrostatic pairs with iodine ions, effectively anchoring them within the crystal lattice. As a result, the solar cells retain more than 92% of their power after a thousand hours of operation at 85°C. The study has been published in Advanced Energy Materials.
HSE Researchers Create Genome-Wide Map of Quadruplexes
An international team, including researchers from HSE University, has created the first comprehensive map of quadruplexes—unstable DNA structures involved in gene regulation. For the first time, scientists have shown that these structures function in pairs: one is located in a DNA region that initiates gene transcription, while the other lies in a nearby region that enhances this process. In healthy tissues, quadruplexes regulate tissue-specific genes, whereas in cancerous tissues they influence genes responsible for cell growth and division. These findings may contribute to the development of new anticancer drugs that target quadruplexes. The study has been published in Nucleic Acids Research.
Mathematician from HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod Solves Equation Considered Unsolvable in Quadratures Since 19th Century
Mathematician Ivan Remizov from HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod and the Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences has made a conceptual breakthrough in the theory of differential equations. He has derived a universal formula for solving problems that had been considered unsolvable in quadratures for more than 190 years. This result fundamentally reshapes one of the oldest areas of mathematics and has potential to have important implications for fundamental physics and economics. The paper has been published in Vladikavkaz Mathematical Journal.
Scientists Reveal How Language Supports Complex Cognitive Processing in the Brain
Valeria Vinogradova, a researcher at HSE University, together with British colleagues, studied how language proficiency affects cognitive processing in deaf adults. The study showed that higher language proficiency—regardless of whether the language is signed or spoken—is associated with higher activity and stronger functional connectivity within the brain network responsible for cognitive task performance. The findings have been published in Cerebral Cortex.
HSE AI Research Centre Simplifies Particle Physics Experiments
Scientists at the HSE AI Research Centre have developed a novel approach to determining robustness in deep learning models. Their method works eight times faster than an exhaustive model search and significantly reduces the need for manual verification. It can be applied to particle physics problems using neural networks of various architectures. The study has been published in IEEE Access.
Scientists Show That Peer Influence Can Be as Effective as Expert Advice
Eating habits can be shaped not only by the authority of medical experts but also through ordinary conversations among friends. Researchers at HSE University have shown that advice from peers to reduce sugar consumption is just as effective as advice from experts. The study's findings have been published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
HSE University Develops Tool for Assessing Text Complexity in Low-Resource Languages
Researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have developed a tool for assessing text complexity in low-resource languages. The first version supports several of Russia’s minority languages, including Adyghe, Bashkir, Buryat, Tatar, Ossetian, and Udmurt. This is the first tool of its kind designed specifically for these languages, taking into account their unique morphological and lexical features.
HSE Scientists Uncover How Authoritativeness Shapes Trust
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have studied how the brain responds to audio deepfakes—realistic fake speech recordings created using AI. The study shows that people tend to trust the current opinion of an authoritative speaker even when new statements contradict the speaker’s previous position. This effect also occurs when the statement conflicts with the listener’s internal attitudes. The research has been published in the journal NeuroImage.
Language Mapping in the Operating Room: HSE Neurolinguists Assist Surgeons in Complex Brain Surgery
Researchers from the HSE Center for Language and Brain took part in brain surgery on a patient who had been seriously wounded in the SMO. A shell fragment approximately five centimetres long entered through the eye socket, penetrated the cranial cavity, and became lodged in the brain, piercing the temporal lobe responsible for language. Surgeons at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital removed the foreign object while the patient remained conscious. During the operation, neurolinguists conducted language tests to ensure that language function was preserved.