Soft total quality management and employee performance: The resonant effect of leader narcissism

Stemming from the purpose of exploring the changes made by narcissism in the context of hospitality enterprises with total quality management (TQM) implementation, this study proposes a multi-level analytical framework taking into account the moderating effect of leader narcissism on the relationship between soft TQM practices and employee performance on the basis of the abilities, motivations, opportunities framework and the social information processing theory. The analysis of survey data from 1,155 employees from mid- to high-end hotels in two famous tourist cities in Vietnam allowed us to empirically test the relationship between these constructs. The findings showed that communication, teamwork, training and development create significant improvements in employee performances. More importantly, the moderating role for leader narcissism is confirmed in the relationship between training and development and employee performance. Therefore, the study highlighted theoretical implications related to a holistic approach to narcissism – the controversial psychological characteristics of leaders in the workplace. In addition, a number of managerial implications have been provided for hotel managers in enhancing the effectiveness of TQM implementation for improved performance through promoting the role of narcissistic leaders.