The Effect of Leaders’ Other-Oriented Perfectionism on Passive Aggression: The Serial Multiple Mediation Effect of Narcissism and Moral Licensing

As global business environments remain volatile and Korea faces prolonged low economic growth, domestic companies encounter the dual challenge of balancing survival and growth amid rapidly changing markets and intense competition. Under such pressure, leaders may exhibit a tendency toward other-oriented perfectionism, characterized by the imposition of excessively high standards and overly strict evaluations on subordinates. These tendencies often manifest as elevated expectations, which, when unmet, may result in passive-aggressive behavior aimed at avoiding direct conflict. This study examines the relationship between leaders’ other-oriented perfectionism and Passive Aggression and investigates the underlying psychological mechanisms using a serial multiple mediation model involving narcissism and moral licensing. A two-wave self-report survey was conducted with 357 employees from diverse industries. Participants evaluated their immediate supervisors, and data were collected seven days apart under different conditions to minimize common method bias. The results revealed: (1) other-oriented perfectionism had a significant positive effect on Passive Aggression; (2) narcissism did not significantly mediate this relationship; (3) moral licensing significantly mediated the relationship; and (4) the serial mediation through narcissism and moral licensing was also significant. This study empirically confirmed that leaders’ other-oriented perfectionism increases their own emotional burden, leading to the emergence of negative behaviors such as passive aggression. In this process, narcissism fosters a perception of being exempt from social norms by creating a sense of superiority, and from this privileged position, moral licensing enables leaders to rationalize their critical attitudes and indirect aggression toward subordinates. Based on these findings, the study also presents theoretical and practical implications, acknowledges its limitations, and suggests directions for future research.