Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly

Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly

The Dark Side of Job Success in Educational Organizations: Understanding the Phenomenon of "Imposter Syndrome"

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Ali Yasini
Management Department, Humanities and literature faculty, Ilam university, Ilam, Iran
10.22034/obs.2025.2059250.3549
Abstract
Job success as a main goal in organizational environments has always been of interest to employees and managers. However, traditional definitions of success are limited to tangible and technical achievements, and its psychological and social dimensions are often less studied. One of the psychosocial dimensions of job success is the phenomenon of self-destruction of the capable, which is referred to in scientific texts as the imposter syndrome. The present study aimed to explore the dark aspects of job success with an emphasis on the phenomenon of imposter syndrome. A qualitative phenomenological method based on the lived experiences of individuals was used, and 24 structured interviews were conducted using the interview tool until theoretical saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding in the qualitative content analysis method. To ensure the validity and reliability of the results, four indicators of Lincoln and Guba (1994) were used, including: believability, transferability, confirmability, and reliability. Also, to gain more confidence in the interview coding method, the agreement coefficient between coders was used using the Cohen's Kappa method. The findings showed that the concept ofimposter syndrome has 5 main categories: feelings of inadequacy and lack of credibility (4 subcategories and 10 indicators), unattainable standards (4 main categories and 6 indicators), concerns about rejection, criticism, and damage to personal image (4 subcategories and 12 indicators), social isolation and lack of support network (3 subcategories and 13 indicators), and disruption in time management and prioritization (2 subcategories and 12 indicators).
Keywords
The dark side of Job success
self-destruction
Imposter syndrome.
Subjects
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