Emily Bianchi, assistant professor of organization and management, says younger employees — millinneals that experienced the most recent recession — may be more humble than their predecessors. In particular, the research in a recent edition of Psychological Science, shows a decreased level of narcissism.
The work has been featured in several media outlets, including Marketplace, Huffington Post and Today.com.
As published on Today.com this week:
A new study suggests that people who come of age in a recessionary economy are less likely to develop narcissistic tendencies, or an egotistical preoccupation with self, common among successful business leaders. As the young adults who entered the workforce during the worst recession in decades establish their career footing and move into leadership positions, this could mean fewer big heads as company heads.
“If the pattern still holds, we should expect the generation that’s been entering the workforce in the last five years or so might be more humble,” said Emily Bianchi, an assistant professor of organization and management at Emory University, in Atlanta. Bianchi found that people who enter their adult years during times with higher unemployment rates rank lower on measures of narcissism later in life.
About the Professor
Emily Bianchi joined the Goizueta Business School in 2011. She holds a PhD in Management from Columbia University and a BA in Psychology from Harvard University. Bianchi’s research examines how the state of the economy shapes attitudes and behaviors ranging from individualism to ethics. Her work also looks at how economic conditions in early adulthood influence later job attitudes, self-concepts, and moral behavior. Her work has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR’s Marketplace, USA Today, The Financial Times, Businessweek and others. Prior to graduate school, Bianchi was a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.
