When Support Backfires: Narcissistic Self-Regulatory Strategies, Ego Threat, and Workplace Aggression

Although ego threat is known to influence workers’ aggressive behavior, little is understood about how support and narcissism shape this relationship. Accordingly, the present study conceptualized narcissistic traits as distinct self-regulatory strategies for maintaining self-worth and examined whether the meaning of support under ego threat varies depending on these traits. An online survey was conducted with 1621 Japanese workers, and the participants were classified into three types—Self-Assertion, Need for Attention and Praise, and Sense of Superiority and Competence—based on the highest scores on the three factors of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Short version. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were then conducted separately for each type. The results showed that the behavioral consequences of ego threat varied substantially across narcissistic types and that support did not uniformly suppress power harassment. For the Self-Assertion type, perceived organizational support was positively associated with Invasion of Privacy. For the Need for Attention and Praise type, men and managers tended to choose Excessive Demands. For the Sense of Superiority and Competence type, supervisor support reduced harassment; however, under strong ego-threatening conditions, such support paradoxically amplified harassment. These findings suggest that support functions as a socially meaningful cue whose interpretation depends on narcissistic self-regulatory strategies.