Generating Press, Bold Ideas, and Stubbornness: The Impact of Celebrity CEO's

Abstract

Our purpose is to investigate and discuss the impact of celebrity CEOs. Numerous CEOs have attained celebrity status through infusion into media coverage. Consequently, CEOs routinely enter into American popular culture. We offer general propositions that successful CEOs gain positive media coverage, and thus gain celebrity CEO status. Subsequently, celebrity CEOs are vulnerable to becoming rigid in their business strategy and also fixate on increasing firms’ corporate social responsibility operatives, both of which are enhanced by narcissism. Under negative conditions (i.e., poor performance, bad press), celebrity CEOs tend to escalate their commitment as opposed to admitting a change is necessary.