Not All Evil Comes to harm: A Cost-Benefit Lens on the Bright Side of the Dark Triad

Abstract

Employees high on the dark triad traits narcissism, psychopathy, or Machiavellianism tend to incur social costs for organizations. Recently, however, an increasing number of studies suggests that these toxic traits may also have positive consequences such as higher job performance or leadership effectiveness. Moreover, the degree to which dark triad traits lead to negative outcomes also depends on moderators that buffer their detrimental consequences and their dosage (i.e., curvilinear effects). We therefore propose a novel framework, the dark-triad-cost-benefit (DTCB) framework, that integrates the previously used theories, providing structure for an area that so far has been fragmented. Based on the assumption that dark traits and boundary conditions elicit both costs and benefits, the proposed framework summarizes and explains the differential effects of dark traits and their sub-facets as a function of the respective cost-benefit ratio. Consequently, we review studies that a) link the dark triad traits to positive outcomes or b) introduce boundary conditions that buffer negative effects or enhance their positive effects. Our review and comprehensive DTCB-framework contribute to the understanding of the positive effects of dark triad traits and open avenues for future research investigating how they unfold, and how boundary conditions and dosages influence work outcomes.