The mediating role of persecutory ideation on the effect of vulnerable narcissism and organizational hypocrisy on job insecurity

The study of narcissism has largely focused on grandiose narcissism, neglecting vulnerable narcissism and its mediating role in predicting workplace behavior. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of persecutory ideation on the influence of vulnerable narcissism and organizational hypocrisy on job insecurity among employees of Nasarawa State University, Keffi. A cross-sectional survey of 291 employees was conducted, with 59.21% of participants aged 25-34 years old, and 51.2% males and 47.8% females. The results revealed that narcissism positively predicts job insecurity (β = 0.07, p < 0.05) and persecutory ideation (β = 0.26, p < 0.05), while organizational hypocrisy also predicts job insecurity (β = 0.13, p < 0.05) and persecutory ideation (β = 0.60, p < 0.05). The analysis showed that narcissism and persecutory ideation have a significant joint influence on job insecurity (R = 0.48, R2 = 0.23, F (2,290) = 43.59, p < 0.05), with a partial mediating role for persecutory ideation in the relationship between narcissism and job insecurity (Z = 4.92, p < 0.05). Additionally, persecutory ideation was found to significantly mediate the relationship between organizational hypocrisy and job insecurity (Z = -5.204, p < 0.05). By promoting transparency and ethical behavior, organization can mitigate organizational hypocrisy and reduce the likelihood of triggering persecutory beliefs among employees.