NARCISSISM, IDENTITY, AND LEGITIMACY

The theory of narcissism can be employed usefully to analyze the dynam ics of group and organizational behavior. Just as individuals seek to regulate their self-esteem through such ego-defense mechanisms as deni al, rationalization, attributional egotism, sense of entitlement, and ego aggrandizement. which ameliorate anxiety. so too do groups and org anizations. An understanding of the behaviors by which groups and orga nizations regulate self-esteem is important, because it sheds light on the dynamics underlying the legitimacy attributions made by organizat ional participants. In this article I enlarge and illustrate these arg uments.