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:
Russian Physicists Determine Indices Enabling Prediction of Laser Behaviour
Russian scientists, including researchers at HSE University, examined the features of fibre laser generation and identified universal critical indices for calculating their characteristics and operating regimes. The study findings will help predict and optimise laser parameters for high-speed communication systems, spectroscopy, and other areas of optical technology. The paper has been published in Optics & Laser Technology.
Children with Autism Process Auditory Information Differently
A team of scientists, including researchers from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain, examined specific aspects of auditory perception in children with autism. The scientists observed atypical alpha rhythm activity both during sound perception and at rest. This suggests that these children experience abnormalities in the early stages of sound processing in the brain's auditory cortex. Over time, these abnormalities can result in language difficulties. The study findings have been published in Brain Structure and Function.
Smartphones Not Used for Digital Learning among Russian School Students
Despite the widespread use of smartphones, teachers have not fully integrated them into the teaching and learning process, including for developing students' digital skills. Irina Dvoretskaya, Research Fellow at the HSE Institute of Education, has examined the patterns of mobile device use for learning among students in grades 9 to 11.
Working while Studying Can Increase Salary and Chances of Success
Research shows that working while studying increases the likelihood of employment after graduation by 19% and boosts salary by 14%. One in two students has worked for at least a month while studying full time. The greatest benefits come from being employed during the final years of study, when students have the opportunity to begin working in their chosen field. These findings come from a team of authors at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences.
Beauty in Details: HSE University and AIRI Scientists Develop a Method for High-Quality Image Editing
Researchers from theHSE AI Research Centre, AIRI, and the University of Bremen have developed a new image editing method based on deep learning—StyleFeatureEditor. This tool allows for precise reproduction of even the smallest details in an image while preserving them during the editing process. With its help, users can easily change hair colour or facial expressions without sacrificing image quality. The results of this three-party collaboration were published at the highly-cited computer vision conference CVPR 2024.
HSE Scientists Have Examined Potential Impact of Nuclear Power on Sustainable Development
Researchers at HSE University have developed a set of mathematical models to predict the impact of nuclear power on the Sustainable Development Index. If the share of nuclear power in the global energy mix increases to between 20% and 25%, the global Sustainable Development Index (SDI) is projected to grow by one-third by 2050. In scenarios where the share of nuclear power grows more slowly, the increase in the SDI is found to be lower. The study has been published in Nuclear Energy and Technology.
HSE Scientists Have Developed a New Model of Electric Double Layer
This new model accounts for a wide range of ion-electrode interactions and predicts a device's ability to store electric charge. The model's theoretical predictions align with the experimental results. Data on the behaviour of the electric double layer (EDL) can aid in the development of more efficient supercapacitors for portable electronics and electric vehicles. The study has been published in ChemPhysChem.
Psychologists from HSE University Discovered How Love for Animals Affects Relationships with People
Researchers from HSE University have identified a connection between attachment to pets and attitudes toward nature and other people. The study found that the more joy people derive from interacting with their pets, the more they want to help others. However, love for animals is not always associated with concern for nature. The findings were published in the Social Psychology and Society journal.
HSE Scientists Propose Using Heart Rate Analysis to Diagnose Anxiety and Depression
A group of scientists at HSE University have discovered how anxiety and depression can be diagnosed by analysing heart rate. It turns out that under mental stress, the heart rate of individuals with a predisposition to mental health disorders differs from that of healthy individuals, especially when performing more complex tasks. These changes in cardiovascular parameters can even be detected using a pulse oximeter or a smartwatch. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Researchers at HSE in St Petersburg Develop Superior Machine Learning Model for Determining Text Topics
Topic models are machine learning algorithms designed to analyse large text collections based on their topics. Scientists at HSE Campus in St Petersburg compared five topic models to determine which ones performed better. Two models, including GLDAW developed by the Laboratory for Social and Cognitive Informatics at HSE Campus in St Petersburg, made the lowest number of errors. The paper has been published in PeerJ Computer Science.