Abstract:
To examine the role of the narcissistic personality and five-factor personality as predictors of leader emergence in an unacquainted group. Three hundred and thirty six undergraduate students, 226 females and 120 males, completed a measure of narcissistic personality and five-factor personality and then were randomly assigned into four-person leaderless groups under the condition of unacquaintance. They engaged in four-person leaderless group discussion and performed two group tasks. Structural Equation Models (SEM) reveal that narcissistic personality, Extraversion, and Openness to experience predict leader emergence in an unacquainted group in a positive direction. While, agreeableness predicts leader emergence in an unacquainted group in a negative direction. The effects of neuroticism and conscientiousness are not found in this study.