The Impacts of Narcissistic Leadership on Achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—A Scoping Review
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI enjoyed reviewing this manuscript. It is generally well-written and can stand the test of time. However, some minor concerns should be addressed.
Introduction: The rationale behind the study should be discussed. What are the research gaps that the authors are trying to address should be discussed.
Methods: It is well-structured. Are the authors confining their search to any particular time period? It is not clear if any dissertations are included. The authors should explain why they chose to exclude conference papers. Excluding these might not represent a comprehensive work.
Results: This section is detailed. The authors could have included the important theories are were used in the studies.
Discussions and implications:
The theoretical contributions are limited. The authors have to explain what is the novelty of this study. How does it contribute to the existing knowledge and theories? Practical implications should be specific.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageSatisfactory
Author Response
The authors like to thank you for your important and valuable comments. We have addressed all comments and hope that they are satisfactory (pdf file attached).
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Comment 1: I enjoyed reviewing this manuscript. It is generally well-written and can stand the test of time. However, some minor concerns should be addressed.
Response 1: Thank you for your positive feedback. We appreciate your time and effort in reviewing this paper.
Comment 2: Introduction: The rationale behind the study should be discussed. What are the research gaps that the authors are trying to address should be discussed.
Response 2: Thank you for this comment, which together with your comments on the lack of information regarding the diverse theoretical background of narcissism, resulted in some changes in the manuscript. The theoretical information was found more proper for presentation in the introduction section to highlight the complexity of narcissism, especially the lack of research among high political leaderships, and decision-makers. The rationale for this study was integrated into the last paragraph of the introduction. Please refer to pages 2 and 3, lines 86-105, and 107-111.
Comment 3: Methods: It is well-structured. Are the authors confining their search to any particular time period? It is not clear if any dissertations are included. The authors should explain why they chose to exclude conference papers. Excluding these might not represent a comprehensive work.
Response 3: A few dissertations such as Smith, M. F. (2015). Narcissism as Defensive-compensation: A Thesis Examining Competitive Behaviors & Psychological Defensiveness (Doctoral dissertation, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania), were found but not included since according to our psychiatrist expert in the group, they were not aligned with the aim of the study. This has been highlighted under the “Exclusion Criteria.” Please refer to page 4, lines 153-157.
Comment 4: Results: This section is detailed. The authors could have included the important theories are were used in the studies.
Response 4: Since the results are derived from the included studies we explored this issue in the introduction. Please refer to pages 2 and 3, lines 86-105.
Comment 5: Discussions and implications: The theoretical contributions are limited. The authors have to explain what is the novelty of this study. How does it contribute to the existing knowledge and theories? Practical implications should be specific.
Response 5: New paragraphs are added in the discussion to link back to the introduction and the theoretical frameworks. The novelty of the study is also explained. Please refer to the Discussion (lines 366-389), the conclusions (lines 404-412), and Table 3.
Best wishes, the authors, 30 July 2024
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAbstract
The abstract section briefs the overall concept of the study. The present research investigates the effects of narcissistic leadership on the United Nation’s SDG goals through the comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. This paper’s insights involve an acknowledgement of the dearth of literature on this subject and present the systematic factors that promote narcissistic leaders.
Introduction
The introduction section provides the introductory part of the study. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the effects of narcissistic leadership on the fulfilment of the UN Sustainable The competitive and self-centred nature of narcissist leaders is a major threat to international health security and the achievement of the SDGs, chiefly Goals 16 and 17. The study stresses the need to develop measures to reduce these negative effects.
Materials and Method
The materials and method section describes the effective methodology which has been used in this study. This scoping review and action research evaluated how narcissistic leadership influenced the attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The systematic searches for the studies were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Both environmental and infrastructural factors were targeted by keywords of social, health-related, and consequential aspects. Information derived from all qualifying studies was then arranged and narratively integrated and summed up in tables illustrating the gaps as well as the impact of narcissistic leadership on the SDGs.
Result
The result section provides the outcomes of the study's research. The subsequent searches of articles related to narcissistic leadership led to the selection of 46 articles out of 428 identified. These are the qualities that are associated with narcissistic personalities. Those leaders are grandiose and self-centred, meaning they are not inclined to think about long-term strategies favourable for the company and the world, such as environmental sustainability and social benefits. Narcissistic leaders rule with the intent of producing instability so that they prolong their rule, this brings about a negative impact on the social, health and economic aspects of the societies and makes the already existing world challenges worse.
Discussion
The discussion chapter depicts the potential analysis of the result and provides limitations of the study. This study has worked to evaluate the effects of narcissistic leaders on the realisation of the UN’s SDGs and demonstrated their self-interest choices, causing organisational conflict that brings negative social, environmental and health consequences. Leadership means teamwork and the responsibility of leaders and the followers. On the other hand, the narcissistic approach leads to the deterioration of global health and well-being and demands the introduction of new and better policies.
Comment
Subsequent research might analyse the macro socio-political factors that lead to the emergence of narcissistic presidents and their ability to perpetuate their rule. Studying these larger processes can give a better picture of the relationship between personality characteristics and conditions of an organisation’s environment and help address the global consequences of narcissistic leadership.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor editing of English language required
Author Response
Reviewer # 2
We thank you for your time and effort in reviewing this paper. We enjoyed your summary of our paper and agree with your interpretation of this review (pdf file attached).
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
Abstract: The abstract section briefs the overall concept of the study. The present research investigates the effects of narcissistic leadership on the United Nation’s SDG goals through the comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. This paper’s insights involve an acknowledgement of the dearth of literature on this subject and present the systematic factors that promote narcissistic leaders.
Response: We are pleased to hear that the abstract effectively summarized the key elements of our study. We have ensured that it succinctly captures the essence of our research, highlighting the gap in the literature and the systematic factors that contribute to the rise of narcissistic leaders.
Introduction: The introduction section provides the introductory part of the study. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the effects of narcissistic leadership on the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable The competitive and self-centred nature of narcissist leaders is a major threat to international health security and the achievement of the SDGs, chiefly Goals 16 and 17. The study stresses the need to develop measures to reduce these negative effects.
Response: We appreciate the positive feedback on the introduction. We have made sure to clearly articulate the purpose of our study and the specific threats posed by narcissistic leadership to the achievement of the SDGs. This section now more comprehensively addresses the critical need for measures to mitigate these negative impacts, as suggested by another reviewer.
Materials and Methods: The materials and method section describes the effective methodology which has been used in this study. This scoping review and action research evaluated how narcissistic leadership influenced the attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The systematic searches for the studies were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Both environmental and infrastructural factors were targeted by keywords of social, health-related, and consequential aspects. Information derived from all qualifying studies was then arranged and narratively integrated and summed up in tables illustrating the gaps as well as the impact of narcissistic leadership on the SDGs.
Response: Thank you for acknowledging the robustness of our methodology. We have further clarified our approach to ensure that the systematic searches and the narrative integration of data are well-documented and comprehensive. This enhancement, as noted in the feedback from the first reviewer, helps in ensuring the transparency and replicability of our study.
Results: The result section provides the outcomes of the study's research. The subsequent searches of articles related to narcissistic leadership led to the selection of 46 articles out of 428 identified. These are the qualities that are associated with narcissistic personalities. Those leaders are grandiose and self-centred, meaning they are not inclined to think about long-term strategies favourable for the company and the world, such as environmental sustainability and social benefits. Narcissistic leaders rule with the intent of producing instability so that they prolong their rule, this brings about a negative impact on the social, health and economic aspects of the societies and makes the already existing world challenges worse.
Response: We are grateful for the positive evaluation of our results section. The detailed outcomes presented align with our objective to highlight the detrimental impacts of narcissistic leadership. We have also included key theoretical frameworks used in the studies to enrich the understanding of these impacts, addressing the feedback from the first reviewer.
Discussion: The discussion chapter depicts the potential analysis of the result and provides limitations of the study. This study has worked to evaluate the effects of narcissistic leaders on the realization of the UN’s SDGs and demonstrated their self-interest choices, causing organizational conflict that brings negative social, environmental and health consequences. Leadership means teamwork and the responsibility of leaders and the followers. On the other hand, the narcissistic approach leads to the deterioration of global health and well-being and demands the introduction of new and better policies.
Response: We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments on our discussion section. We have expanded this section to emphasize the theoretical contributions of our study and its novelty in examining the intersection of narcissistic leadership and the UN’s SDGs. Additionally, we have detailed the practical implications and the need for policy changes, as suggested by the first reviewer.
Comment: Subsequent research might analyze the macro socio-political factors that lead to the emergence of narcissistic presidents and their ability to perpetuate their rule. Studying these larger processes can give a better picture of the relationship between personality characteristics and conditions of an organization’s environment and help address the global consequences of narcissistic leadership.
Response: Thank you for this excellent suggestion. We fully agree that future research should explore the macro socio-political factors that enable narcissistic leaders to rise and remain in power. Understanding these broader processes will indeed provide a more comprehensive view of how personality traits interact with organizational and environmental conditions. We have noted this as a significant area for future investigation.
Thank you for the final comments which emphasize the implications of this study.
Best wishes, the authors
July 30, 2024
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
