Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between dark triad personality (DTP) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). In addition, the study also examined the main effects and the moderated relationship of four situational variables: organizational justice, organizational transparency, psychological contract breach, and perceived accountability. Data were collected at two hospitals in Beijing, China, and included 259 randomly selected nurses. The main effect results showed that nurses with higher levels of Machiavellianism demonstrated higher levels of organizational and interpersonal CWB. Furthermore, higher levels of psychopathy were related to higher levels of interpersonal CWB, but not organizational CWB. There was no relationship between narcissism and CWB. The main effect findings did not reveal any significant relationship between the four situational variables and CWB. However, the interaction analyses revealed five significant interactions that point to transparency as an important moderator. The paper concludes with conceptual as well as practical implications for the nursing profession. 
Highlights
Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) has attracted a great deal of interest among scholars from different fields (Carpenter, Whitman, & Amrhein, 2020; Schilpzand et al, 2016; Cohen & Diamant, 2017)
This study had two goals: first, to examine the relationship between dark triad personality (DTP) and CWB in a novel setting—China; and second, to examine this relationship among hospital nurses, a setting that has rarely been examined in this cultural context
The main findings of this study were demonstrated in the strong relationship between Machiavellianism and the two dimensions of CWB
Summary
Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) has attracted a great deal of interest among scholars from different fields (Carpenter, Whitman, & Amrhein, 2020; Schilpzand et al, 2016; Cohen & Diamant, 2017). Employees who engage in CWB know that they are breaking common ethical and moral codes with the aim of damaging the organization and/or its employees to achieve their personal goals. Such activities threaten the welfare of healthcare organizations and their employees. One of the explanations identified in recent years to better understand the reasons for performing CWB is the presence of dark personalities in work organizations (Cohen, 2018; Nuzulia & Why, 2020; Thibault & Kelloway, 2020; Searle & Rice, 2020). There is a growing interest in research on dark personalities in the workplace; more studies are needed to better understand this phenomenon (Palmer et al, 2017)
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