A Study on the Relationship between Teachers’ Dark Triad Personality Traits and Organizational Cynicism Behaviours

Abstract

In the literature, there have been many studies regarding the personality traits of the “Dark Triad,” which includes Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, that affect individuals’ lives in every aspect, including their workplace. However, the research on the impact of these traits on organizational cynicism has been limited. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine whether having Dark Triad personality traits affects individuals’ attitudes towards organizational cynicism and how it affects them. The research group consists of 266 teachers working in Gaziantep province during the 2022-2023 academic year. To determine the relationship between the two variables under investigation, research data was collected using the “Dark Triad Personality Traits Test” and the “Organizational Cynicism Scale for Teachers.” While demographic variables were analyzed with descriptive analyses, correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze the empirical data. Upon examining the research findings, it was determined that there is a moderate positive correlation between teachers’ dark triad personality traits and their organizational cynicism behavior. Additionally, the dark triad personality traits account for 44. 3% of teachers’ organizational cynicism behavior (R2=0. 443). Considering the limitations of the chosen method, such as being restricted to the number of participants in the sample, it becomes important to address the effects of personality traits, which influence organizational cynicism like many other organizational behaviors, through different research methods or combinations of methods.