The importance of dark personality traits in predicting workplace outcomes

Abstract

The present study examined the incremental validity of dark personality traits (DT) in predicting workplace outcomes beyond the predictive power of HEXACO model of personality. A sample of 350 Hungarian working adults completed self-report measures of the DT, HEXACO model of personality, and workplace outcomes such as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), counterproductive work behavior (CWB), turnover intention, and work-related corruption intention. The results showed that the DT traits counted for measurable unique variance in CWB and work-related corruption intention but not in OCB and turnover intention. More specifically, subclinical psychopathy predicted both CWB and corruption intention, while Machiavellianism predicted corruption intention. Subclinical narcissism was unrelated to the outcome variables. These unique variances beyond the HEXACO model of personality were generally small.