Management and Educational Perspective

Abstract The present study aimed to examine the effects of ecosystem development, motivation, network orientation, and the redesign of think tanks’ roles on performance management based on think-tank networks, considering the roles of network cohesion and implementation facilitation.This study was applied in terms of its purpose and employed a mixed-methods design (qualitative–quantitative) in terms of its implementation. The statistical population in the qualitative phase consisted of 19 faculty members, managers, and experts in public administration and performance management, who were selected through purposive sampling. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population comprised 173 employees working in governmental think tanks in Tehran, who were selected using simple random sampling.Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and questionnaires in the quantitative phase. For data analysis, the grounded theory approach was applied in the qualitative phase, whereas SmartPLS software was used in the quantitative phase. During the qualitative stage, 540 initial codes were extracted using the grounded theory method. These codes were subsequently categorized into 122 indicators, 32 components, and ultimately 13 dimensions.The findings revealed that the development of the think-tank network ecosystem exerted the strongest effect on network-based performance management, whereas orientation toward a network-based approach exhibited the weakest effect. Maintaining network cohesion played a mediating role in the relationships of role redesign and network orientation with network-based performance management. Moreover, facilitating the establishment of think-tank networks had a moderating effect on the relationships between ecosystem development and network orientation, on the one hand, and performance management, on the other hand.

Abstract The aim of the present study is to study the knowledge staff narcissism management model with a content analysis approach. The research method is qualitative in terms of implementation method, and is of the content analysis type. The statistical population of this study includes 15 university professors and managers and experts in public administration. The sampling method in this study was purposive. This sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The research collection tool is semi-structured interview. Data analysis was carried out using the content analysis method and MAXQDA software. The results of the study showed that the data were systematically coded and in the first stage, 254 initial codes were extracted and classified in the form of 62 basic themes and 20 basic organizing themes. Finally, five overarching themes were identified as the main dimensions of the research conceptual model, which are: moral guidance, managerial intervention, individual training, professionalism, and moral self-management. In general, managing narcissistic behavior in knowledge workers in organizations requires simultaneous attention to ethical guidance, management intervention, individual training, professionalism, and ethical self-management. These five dimensions provide a coherent framework for promoting ethical actions at the individual and organizational levels.
Introduction
Today, narcissism has become one of the most important topics in the field of organizational behavior (Ren et al., 2024). This behavior is observed more often among knowledge workers than in other occupational groups (Mohd et al., 2023). Narcissism, as a personality trait, refers to an individual's desire to receive praise and exaggeration about themselves (Sarfarazi et al., 2021).
Maccoby (2021) defines narcissism in employees as personality traits in which an individual tends to see themselves as superior to others and needs approval and admiration from others. Narcissists tend to seek attention and approval and may be insensitive to the needs of others in their social and professional interactions. This trait can manifest itself in both positive and negative ways in the workplace. While some aspects of narcissism, such as self-confidence and leadership ability, can be beneficial, its negative aspects include a lack of empathy and difficulty in teamworking. Accordingly, narcissists tend to have undesirable traits such as exploitativeness, lack of empathy, aggression towards critics, and disregard for expert advice. Interestingly, narcissistic knowledge workers may initially be positively evaluated and noted for both their popularity and leadership abilities. However, these positive perceptions of these individuals diminish over time as others gradually become aware of their undesirable traits. According to social influence theory, people who are more skilled in influence management tactics will be more successful in conveying a certain self-image to others. For example, an employee with high knowledge skills can convey an image of competence and likability to others through self-promotion. In contrast, an employee with low knowledge skills may present a neutral and passive self-image to his or her supervisors and colleagues (Chen et al., 2024).
Narcissism can become a very important indicator of positive and negative organizational behavior. Isfahan Petrochemical Company (Isfahan Petrorefining Holding) is a public company that was established with the aim of producing aromatic products including benzene, toluene, orthoxylene, paraxylene, and mixed xylene (Hosseini, 2023). One of the most important reasons for choosing the Isfahan petrochemical industry as the context for the study is that this company needs to maximize the potential of its workforce due to the complex and competitive nature of the industry. The number of knowledge workers in this company is 700 people with diverse organizational abilities. Knowledge workers in this industry usually face numerous technical and managerial challenges that require effective cooperation and interaction between team members. Since narcissism can prevent healthy and effective communication between individuals, effective management of narcissism of knowledge workers in the petrochemical industry should be considered as a vital element for maintaining competitiveness and success in the market. According to the contents, the main question of the present research is: What is the management model of employee narcissism in the petrochemical industry?
Theoretical framework
Employee narcissism
Narcissism is a phenomenon that has existed in human societies for a long time; narcissism is an innate and fundamental human personality trait that may be intensified in a way that dominates other personality traits depending on the type of genetic background of individuals, family upbringing, growth conditions, and social and environmental conditions (Tang et al., 2018).
Zheng et al. (2025) examined the relationship between grandiose narcissism and creativity: A study of Chinese high-tech companies. The results showed that participants with grandiose narcissism reported significantly higher levels of creativity and psychological well-being in creative performance than those with vulnerable narcissism.
Bali et al. (2024) examined the design of a narcissism model for sports managers with a qualitative approach. They showed that the narcissism model of sports managers includes positive dimensions (leadership and inspiration ability, high self-confidence, motivation and ambition, creativity and innovation), and negative dimensions (grandiose and excessive pride, self-centeredness and disregard for others, intolerance of criticism and criticism, dominance and control, lack of empathy and understanding of others, refusal to accept failure and mistakes).
Research Methodology
The research method is qualitative in terms of implementation, of the type of content analysis. The statistical population of this study includes 15 university professors, managers and experts in public administration. The sampling method in this study was purposive. This sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The research collection tool is a semi-structured interview.
Research findings
Data analysis was carried out using the content analysis method and MAXQDA software. The research results showed that the data were systematically coded and in the first stage, 254 initial codes were extracted and classified in the form of 62 basic themes and 20 basic organizing themes. Finally, five overarching themes were identified as the main dimensions of the conceptual model of the research, which are: moral guidance, managerial intervention, individual training, professionalism and ethical self-management. In general, managing narcissistic behavior in knowledge workers in organizations requires simultaneous attention to ethical guidance, management intervention, individual training, professionalism, and ethical self-management. These five dimensions provide a coherent framework for promoting ethical actions at the individual and organizational levels.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of developing a model of managing narcissistic behavior in knowledge workers using a content analysis approach. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Zheng et al. (2025), Bali et al. (2024), Hassanzadeh & mehdinia (2022), Sayidi (2022), Al Behbahani (2022), Pashazadeh Kahaq et al. (2022), Shariatinejad et al. (2022), Fahim Talebi et al. (2021), and Klimchak et al. (2016). Zheng et al. (2025) showed that participants with high narcissism reported significantly levels of creativity and psychological well-being in creative performance compared to those with low narcissism.
According to the results of the study, the following suggestions were made:
Ethical guidance increases employee trust, reduces conflicts, and promotes empathy and cooperation in the workplace, and plays an important role in preventing narcissistic and harmful behaviors.
Management intervention includes providing feedback, continuous monitoring, and timely intervention in the event of behavioral deviations or decreased performance. It is suggested that unproductive and self-centered employee behaviors are identified and corrected and organizational processes are directed towards common goals. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract The aim of this study is to validate the employee job enthusiasm model of the Petrochemical Terminals and Tanks Company. The present study is applicable in terms of its purpose and is a survey in terms of its nature and method. The statistical population of the present study includes employees of the Petrochemical Terminals and Tanks Company in the city of Asaluyeh, whose sample size was 205 people using the Cochran formula and simple sampling method. The collection tool in the present study is a researcher-made questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS and LISREL software was used to analyze the findings. The findings showed that the "cognitive enthusiasm" dimension includes four subscales of professional development path, cognitive understanding, foresight, and resilience. The “emotional passion” dimension includes intrinsic motivation, positivity, effective financial incentives, and effective non-financial incentives; and the physical-psychological passion dimension includes managing job pressures, overcoming physical challenges in the workplace, and physical and mental balance; and the social passion dimension includes social approval, social interactions, and a supportive workplace; and the moral-value passion dimension includes approval of a sense of responsibility, moral impact, and the desire to do meaningful work.
Introduction
Today, due to economic issues and problems, employees face multiple work pressures and role conflicts in the organization, which often put a lot of work pressure on them. Therefore, the emphasis on promoting employee passion and enthusiasm is constantly increasing in workplaces (Ismaili, 2025). In recent years, researchers in the field of public administration have tested various job design methods such as job enrichment and job development methods, which clearly aim to identify the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of employees. This issue has gained particular importance in public administration discussions. The result of job design methods on human resources is the fact that often individual outcomes are considered, which is partly due to the nature of job designs. On one hand, in today's competitive market, most organizations face great challenges in retaining their valuable employees. Therefore, these employees face pressure and efforts from managers to stay in this job or profession (Tabaszewska & Sokołowska, 2019). On the other hand, job satisfaction is one of the key factors of job success that causes employees to show the best job performance. A high level of employee job satisfaction can lead to the growth of the company's economic situation, as employees will work hard for themselves and their company. Job satisfaction is a phenomenon that results from the level of happiness and satisfaction of employees with their work and its environment and leads to a high level of job engagement (Olsen, 2025).
Although employee engagement has many benefits, there is evidence that many employees in organizations do not have the necessary and sufficient engagement. Studies show that a high percentage of employees in workplaces suffer from burnout. For example, the results of a study conducted by Parker et al. (2023) showed that more than 60% of employees in some industries regularly experience symptoms of burnout. Studies show that many employees are not satisfied with their jobs. The results of a survey conducted by Gallup (2021) showed that only 15% of employees globally feel engaged, enthusiastic, and satisfied with their work. Employees who are less engaged are likely to be more likely to be absent from work. The results of a study conducted by Halbesleben (2010) showed that employees with low engagement are 37% more likely to be absent than employees with high engagement. According to the above, the main question of the present study is: how can the model of employee job engagement in a petrochemical terminal and storage company be validated?
Theoretical foundations
Job engagement
The concept of job engagement was proposed by Kahn (1990) and Li (2016). The term job engagement means the participation of employees in their work. The term job engagement may mean the connection of individuals with the body in which they work (Ali et al., 2021). The level of enthusiasm, attachment, and desired involvement with the job is job engagement. Job engagement means that employees are physically engaged, cognitively alert, and empathetically communicate with other people in the organization (Decuypere & Schaufeli, 2020).
Cheng (2024) examined the role of chain mediation of innovative self-efficacy and coordinated enthusiasm between reciprocal leadership and employee innovative behavior. Ambidextrous leadership is positively related to employee innovation behavior, while innovative self-efficacy and harmonious work engagement play a mediating role. Further analysis confirms that innovative self-efficacy and harmonious work engagement play a dual mediating role in the chain between ambidextrous leadership and employee innovation behavior, while Zhong-Yung thinking plays a moderating role between ambidextrous leadership and innovative self-efficacy and between ambidextrous leadership and harmonious work engagement.
Gerami & Malekshahi (2023) investigated the relationship between servant leadership style and employee performance and job engagement (case study: Mobarakeh Steel Company, Isfahan). They showed that job engagement plays a mediating role between job motivation and innovative behavior, as well as between servant leadership style and job performance.
Research Methodology
The present study is applicable in terms of purpose and is of survey type in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of the present study includes employees of Petrochemical Terminals and Tanks Company in Assaluyeh city, whose sample size was 205 people using the Cochran formula and simple sampling method. The collection tool in the present study is a researcher-made questionnaire.
Research findings
Confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the findings using SPSS and LISREL software. The findings showed that the "cognitive enthusiasm" dimension includes four subscales of professional development path, cognitive understanding, foresight, and resilience. The "emotional passion" dimension includes intrinsic motivation, positivity, effective financial incentives, and effective non-financial incentives; and the physical-psychological passion dimension includes managing job pressures, overcoming physical challenges in the workplace, and physical and mental balance; and the social passion dimension includes social approval, social interactions, and a supportive workplace; and the moral-value passion dimension includes approving a sense of responsibility, moral impact, and the desire to do meaningful work.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of validating the job passion model of the employees of the Petrochemical Terminals and Tanks Company. The findings of the present study are consistent with the results of Shao (2023), Dehghanpour Farashah et al. (2021), Tang & Li (2021), Yaghoubi et al (2022), Gerami & Malekshahi (2024), Keshavarz & Sadeghi (2023) and Hosseinian et al. 2025).
Based on the results of the study, the following suggestions were made:
It is suggested that the organization provide employees with opportunities to participate in projects with a medium to high level of difficulty in line with their interests and skills.
It is suggested that the organization define a multi-stage reward system that provides financial rewards for achieving certain levels of individual or team goals. Employees who perform well or play a key role in a particular project should be allowed to work with flexible working hours on some days or do part of their work remotely. For example, a graphic designer could complete a project at home at night and only be physically present for the final presentation. This type of flexibility greatly increases non-monetary motivation. When new employees first arrive, or when implementing organizational changes, people may experience psychological stress. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.