Navigating the Corporate Ego: Understanding the Association Between ESG Performance and Organizational Narcissistic Rhetoric

Mahran K., Elamer A.

Journal of Business Ethics, vol.204, no.2, pp.437-456, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 204 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10551-025-06090-x
  • Journal Name: Journal of Business Ethics
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, ABI/INFORM, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Communication & Mass Media Index, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, EconLit, Education Abstracts, Gender Studies Database, PAIS International, Philosopher's Index, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, DIALNET
  • Page Numbers: pp.437-456
  • Keywords: Content analysis, ESG, Legitimacy theory, NLP, Organizational narcissism, Organizational narcissistic rhetoric, Women representation
  • Open Archive Collection: Article
  • Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance and the use of narcissistic rhetoric in corporate narrative disclosure. It also examines the moderating effect of board gender diversity on this relationship. Using 1659 firm-year observations from FTSE 350 companies between 2012 and 2021 through Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, we find that higher ESG performance is significantly associated with increased narcissistic rhetoric, indicating that companies often highlight their ESG achievements in a self-promotional manner. Additionally, our results suggest that higher women representation on board can mitigate this trend, with more diverse boards likely to temper narcissistic expressions. The research also uncovers a positive relationship between financial performance and narcissistic rhetoric. These findings contribute to the literature on organizational behavior and communication strategies, offering theoretical insights and practical implications for corporate leaders and policymakers.