Research Proposal Rough Draft

Katherine Fafara

Exposition and Argument Section HM

Erin Kelly

Research Proposal RD

1 November 2016

Research Paper Proposal RD

            The topic that my research will investigate is the causes of narcissism and the effect it has in the workforce. In our modern-day workforce, narcissism seems to be more prevalent than ever before. I will investigate the role that our education system plays in promoting narcissistic attitudes, as well as the subsequent effects narcissism has on co-worker relationships. My research aims to answer the question: to what extent does education form narcissism; and how can narcissism impact relationships in the workplace? My paper may also touch on the question: to what extent is narcissism beneficial or harmful to an individual within a career setting? The objective of my research is to determine the best solution to whether our education systems should be revised in order to prevent narcissism, or whether we should continue with our current method of instructing students. Can narcissism be beneficial or is it solely a harmful characteristic?

            Narcissists are considered people who have a “sense of grandiosity, a high need for admiration from others and ego-reinforcement” (Goritz, Koch, Volmer 413). In other words, a narcissist puts themselves before others because they consider themselves to be more important.  Although there may be several underlying causes of narcissism in an individual, my paper will focus mainly on the role education plays. Having a high self-esteem is a major factor in developing narcissism (Twenge 504). My research will investigate how education has contributed to foster high self-esteem among individuals, leading to narcissism, which may cause detrimental effects later in life. Narcissism has been shown to harm the narcissist and his/her relationships among others. It has been shown that “unmitigated agency (narcissism) was associated with greater distress, low self-esteem, poor health behavior, and negative social interactions” (Fritz, Helgeson 152). I believe that the disconnect between others caused by narcissism can harm the collaboration among co-workers, negatively impacting their production. However, there have been research studies which support that narcissism can benefit leaders in the workplace because narcissistic leaders are more likely to influence their employees to work harder (Goritz, Koch, Volmer 413). My goal is to determine exactly how education can cause narcissism, how relationships among co-workers are impacted by narcissism, and how this can ultimately impact the production of a company.

            The way I plan to conduct my research is to first focus on how our education system has changed from the past to the present, and how this change be responsible for the growth in narcissism. I will use the text “An Army of One: Me” by Jean Twenge to help identify causes of narcissism from education. I will also reference Karen Ho’s “Biography of Hegemony” here because she describes the need to feel “smart” and “elite” in colleges nowadays. Her essay can help me to discover how narcissism is cultivated within schools as students prepare themselves for a career. After I elaborate upon the extent education plays in creating narcissistic individuals, I will then move on to discuss the impact that this narcissism has on relationships between co-workers. First I will discuss the effects narcissism can have on relationships in general using the article “Unmitigated Agency and Unmitigated Communion: Distinctions from Agency and Communion” by Viki S. Helgeson and Heidi L. Fritz. Then I will move on to relationships in business specifically. The essay “Father and Son,” by Tim Wu, explains on two major corporations, apple and google, and how they interact with each other. I will use their experience as an example of how trying to be at the top can stimulate a closed off relationship with others. The article “The Bright and Dark Sides of Leaders' Dark Triad Traits: Effects on Subordinates' Career Success and Well-being” by Judith Volmer, Iris K. Koch, and Anja S. Göritz explains the impact that a narcissistic leader has on his/her employees. I will use this article to support the fact that narcissism may have positive and negative effects on employer-employee relations. Another article that relates narcissism to interaction in the workplace is “It's All about All of Us: The Rise of Narcissism and Its Implications for Management Control System Research” by S. Mark Young, Fei Du, Kelsey Kay Dworkis, and Kari Joseph Olsen. I will use this article to provide greater insight as to how exactly narcissism can influence relationships and production in business.

Bibliography

Helgeson, Vicki S., and Heidi L. Fritz. 1999. “Unmitigated Agency and Unmitigated Communion: Distinctions from Agency and Communion”. Journal of Research in Personality, 33:131-58. Carnegie Mellon University. Science Direct. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Ho, Karen. “Biographies of Hegemony”. The New Humanities Reader. Fifth ed., pp. 165-91.

Twenge, Jean. “An Army of One: Me”. The New Humanities Reader. Fifth ed., pp. 486-511.

Volmer, Judith, Iris K. Koch, and Anja S. Goritz. The bright and dark sides of leaders' dark triad traits: Effects on subordinates' career success and well-being. Vol. 101. , 2016, pp. 413-18. Personality and Individual Differences. Accessed 31 Oct. 2016. resolver.ebscohost.com/openurl?ID=doi%3a10.1016%2fj.paid.2016.06.046&genre=article&atitle=The+bright+and+dark+sides+of+leaders%27+dark+triad+traits%3a+Effects+on+subordinates%27+career+success+

Wu, Tim. “Father and Son”. The New Humanities Reader. Fifth ed., pp. 533-59.

Young, S. M., Fei Du, Kelsey Dworkis, and Kari J. Olsen. "It's All about All of Us: The Rise of Narcissism and Its Implications for Management Control System Research." JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, vol. 28, 2016, pp. 39-55. Accessed 31 Oct. 2016. eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ceb77bbc-6102-40da-869b-62a5e01211d5%40sessionmgr4007&vid=2&hid=4110