‘Narcissist’ bosses are more likely to oppose work from home, studies show. But are they right?

Per The Conversation, a Wharton School study examined why some leaders push harder to get staff back to the office full-time. The six-year research found that narcissistic leaders—those with a tendency toward self-centeredness and entitlement—were significantly more likely to resist remote work because it interferes with their motivations for power and status. But here's the catch: the broader evidence suggests they're fighting the wrong battle. Studies consistently show hybrid arrangements—working two to three days in the office and the rest from home—correlate with higher job satisfaction, lower turnover, and no productivity loss. A meta-analysis of over a hundred studies on remote work found benefits across job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and supervisor-rated performance. Meanwhile, companies that enforced strict return-to-office mandates saw no significant improvement in financial performance or stock price—but did report declining employee satisfaction. The takeaway is clear: the sweet spot for both business and employee well-being is a mix of flexibility, not the full-time office mandate many narcissistic leaders insist on.

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