Does Dark Triad Personality Fuel Workplace Devils?

Ronak Sangoi K J Somaiya Institute of Management (KJ SIM) Mumbai, General Management

See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Say no Evil, Tweet no Evil

Have you ever wondered why your boss or colleague tends to behave differently with you at certain times but is also customary at other times? Do they make you question yourself or misuse the connection you have with them? Do you feel undercut or repressed by it? Well, you might be dealing with someone who exhibits higher levels of the dark triad personality, after all.

What precisely is the dark triad then?

The three personality traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy are collectively referred to as the "dark triad”. Narcissism is characterized by a lack of empathy, an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a need for admiration from others. Machiavellianism is a behavioural tendency to manipulate and exploit others for personal gain. Psychopathy is characterized by a lack of remorse or guilt, and a tendency to engage in impulsive, reckless, and criminal behaviour.

People who display these traits may engage in a range of negative behaviours at work. For instance, they might intimidate or harass their coworkers, tell lies or deceive people to advance their careers, or take credit for the work of others.

Additionally, they might be more inclined to act unethically or illegally, like embezzlement or discrimination A study published in the journal “Personality and Individual Differences”, suggests that individuals who scored highly on measures of narcissism and psychopathy were more likely to engage in workplace deviance, such as stealing from their employer or abusing company resources Another study, published in the journal “Human Performance”, found that individuals who scored highly on measures of Machiavellianism were more likely to engage in bullying and other forms of workplace aggression

The case of Scott Rothstein

One example of an individual with dark triad traits who engaged in workplace evils is Scott Rothstein, a former American lawyer and politician. Rothstein was known for his charismatic personality and his success as a lawyer. However, it was later revealed that he had been running a massive Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Rothstein's behaviour was characterized by manipulativeness, lack of empathy, and a willingness to engage in criminal behaviour for personal gain, which are all traits associated with the dark triad. His actions ultimately led to the collapse of his law firm and his imprisonment. Although these studies show a connection between the dark triad traits and negative workplace behaviour, they have a complex relationship that could be influenced by a number of variables.