Corporate Psychopaths Research Articles

Psychopathy Facets and their Effects on Job Satisfaction and Well- Being: Boldness as a Moderator

Extant research has shown that psychopathy is generally related to poor employee and individual well-being. However, few studies have examined the differential relationship between psychopathic dimensions and well-being outcomes. Drawing from the differential- configuration model of successful psychopathy and using a measure of the triarchic model of psychopathy, this study investigated how psychopathy facets (boldness, meanness, and disinhibition) are uniquely related to job satisfaction, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Drawing from the moderated-expression model of successful psychopathy, boldness was proposed as a moderator of the meanness-wellbeing relationship. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that boldness was positively related to job satisfaction, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negatively so to negative affect. Meanness was negatively related to job satisfaction and positive affect, whereas disinhibition was negatively associated with life satisfaction and negative affect. Moderation analyses revealed significant interactions of boldness with meanness on job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and positive affect. Findings highlight the differential contribution of psychopathy facets to job satisfaction and personal well-being and the role of boldness as a protective factor.

Corporate Psychopathy and Internet Video Game Addiction in the Workplace

In general, if employees use video games excessively rather than working hard, it becomes a matter of great concern in the workplace. However, video game addiction studies in the workplace are rare. The present study was, therefore, developed to examine the organizational behaviors related to video game addiction in the workplace. For this, the present study collected data from 305 employees in Korean companies through a survey method and use a series of multiple regression. In the results, first, the more employees suffer from corporate psychopathy, then they are more likely to be addictive in the video game. Second, the more addictive employee is in the video game, their turnover intention and work to family conflict increase. Third, video game addiction mediates the relationship between corporate psychopathy and employees' turnover intention and work to family conflict. Finally, when employees perceive more support provided by the organization, they are less likely to be addicted to the video game, which is aroused by corporate psychopathy. For research contributions, first, this study is the first to empirically verify the antecedents and consequences of video game addiction in the workplace. Second, this study is the first to investigate the mediation of video game addiction empirically. Third, this study is the first to show perceived organizational support to buffer the relationship between corporate psychopathy and video game addiction.

Are all features of psychopathy associated with decreased health? Psychopathy, dysfunctional family characteristics, and health problems in convicts

Previous research suggested that psychopathy is related to diminished physical and mental health. However, this link could be specific to psychopathic lifestyle and antisocial behavior, while manipulative characteristics and emotional superficiality could be unrelated or even positively related to physical and mental health. Furthermore, psychopathic features could mediate the link between detrimental family characteristics and health problems. We tested these hypotheses in a sample of male convicts (N = 224). Psychopathy was explored via a rating method (PCL?R). Dysfunctional family characteristics were extracted from participants? prison files. Finally, self-reported biographical data was used to estimate problems in physical and mental health. Behavioral psychopathy tendencies and especially impulsive and erratic behavior turned out to be positively related both to physical and mental health problems. On the other hand, Interpersonal and Affective psychopathy features were mostly unrelated or negatively related to health problems. Finally, Antisocial and especially Lifestyle characteristics turned out to be significant mediators of the link between dysfunctional family characteristics and health problems. Research results showed that narrow psychopathy facets are differentially related to health status. Psychopathic lifestyle and criminal behavior are positively related with problems in physical and mental health, while manipulative characteristics and affective shallowness are associated with better health. The results are in accordance with the concept of successful psychopathy and evolutionary accounts on psychopathy.

Херви Клекли: человек, опередивший время

Hervey Cleckley is one of the most influential psychiatrists of the 20th century. Part of his scientific research still causes debates in the scientific world, especially his works about «successful psychopaths» and the curability of psychopathy. Most of Cleckley’s scientific works in the field of the study of psychopathy are well known to most modern scholars, and some of his articles have become textbooks. At the same time, his works on dissociative personality are less known in the professional community. Through the time, his scientific achievements have not lost their relevance and scientific novelty.

The impact of a dysfunctional leader on the workplace: a new challenge for HRM

PurposeWhilst several studies investigate the attributes of dysfunctional leaders exhibiting corporate psychopathic traits, there is a paucity of longitudinal data exploring the way these leaders damage employees and the organisation. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature and provide a focus for HR to address these emerging issues within organisations.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal and in-depth case study approach is taken to explore the impact on a workplace of a dysfunctional leader exhibiting the traits of a corporate psychopath. A framework is used to analyse the nuances of the behaviours, in particular bullying behaviours and the impact of this leadership style on the workforce over a five-year period.FindingsThe long-term negative effects of this type of leadership are identified through a detailed analysis of a trait commonly associated with this toxic style of leader, bullying behaviours and their consequences.Research limitations/implicationsWhilst a single case study allows for in-depth analysis, it may be seen as atypical and of limited application. However, the longitudinal approach is ideal to investigate the nuance of how a highly dysfunctional leader operates within and through the multiple layers of an organisation.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies the traits and effects of a dysfunctional leader on an organisation to enable the organisation primarily through human resources to deal with them and their behaviours.Social implicationsThe finding of this study adds to the knowledge of identifying and dealing with toxic behaviours in the workplace.Originality/valueThe longitudinal nature of the study provides a unique insight into the behaviours and damage of a dysfunctional leader within the workplace.

When the Whole is Less than the Sum of its Parts: The Case of Psychopathy at Work

Can the whole be less than the sum of its parts? When looking at corporate psychopathy, this might be true. In this study of 408 target-coworker pairings, we found evidence for the differential rel...

Climbing the corporate ladder: desired leadership skills and successful psychopaths

Purpose Many of the characteristics embodied by successful psychopaths, such as superficial charm, cool decisiveness and a grandiose self-worth, are often treated synonymously with corporate leadership qualities. Consequently, it is possible that successful psychopaths are actively being selected for corporate positions as they exemplify the perfect candidate. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether or not the recruitment for positions of higher social status are inadvertently seeking out individuals with psychopathic tendencies to run their companies using similar characteristics in their job advertisements. Design/methodology/approach The current study will provide a deeper understanding of successful psychopaths whilst exploring the role of the “Westernized” corporation in recruiting successful psychopaths into their businesses through character descriptions in 25 executive career advertisements using Wexler’s (2008) psychopathic Personality Dimensions And Positively Reinforced Corporate Labels. Findings The results demonstrated that corporations are seeking out characteristics that are synonymous to Factor 1 psychopathic personality traits, which could increase the propensity of successful psychopaths in the workplace. Research limitations/implications Although the sample was representative for the current study, the sample size is minimal. Further, most companies in the sample were taken from the public sector. Given the implicit sample bias, the results and conclusions must be interpreted with caution. Future research should expand the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and corporate labels in a broader context. Practical implications The results also allude to potential protective factors that could be put in place by corporations during their hiring process. These factors include measures for empathy and emotional IQ. Beyond the hiring process, it is suggested that incentive-based promotions should be lessened and replaced with incentives that promote care and respect for one another. Social implications Whilst the inability for the public to conceptualize white-collar crime as a true form of crime conducted by powerful individuals is apparent, it is suggested that change should begin with public awareness and academia. With additional research on psychopathy in the field of criminology and organizational psychology, public awareness can be amplified. Originality/value The current study allows for an interdisciplinary perspective towards the concept of successful psychopathy by highlighting the increased potential for corporate scams and white-collar criminality. Specifically, the current study introduces a psycho-social criminological perspective.

Social status as one key indicator of successful psychopathy: An initial empirical investigation

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that researchers have subdivided into two types: successful and unsuccessful. Nevertheless, little headway has been made regarding how to conceptualize and operationalize success. We consider various accounts of success from the existing literature and make the case for a two-dimensional view of successful psychopathy. Specifically, we contend that successful psychopathy can be conceptualized with two conditions in mind: (a) high social status and (b) lack of serious antisocial behavior. We emphasize that high social status, best described using socioeconomic status (SES), has been largely overlooked in the literature. We tested this idea using a sample of 591 participants who received measures of the triarchic model of psychopathy (i.e., boldness, meanness, and disinhibition), SES, and personality dysfunction. The results demonstrated that, as predicted, the putatively adaptive features of psychopathy (i.e., boldness) were positively related to SES and personality functioning. In contrast, the putatively maladaptive psychopathy features disinhibition and meanness were negatively related to personality functioning, and disinhibition was negatively related to SES. The relevance of boldness to psychopathy and the benefits of conceptualizing success as a continuous variable are discussed.

Psychopathic Personality Traits and the Risk for Personal Victimization.

Previous research links psychopathic traits with involvement in criminal behavior and numerous negative life outcomes. To date, however, a relatively limited amount of research has examined whether psychopathic traits confer an increased risk of victimization. This area of research is of interest as some scholars contend that psychopathic traits may confer several advantages for life outcomes including outcomes related to criminal conduct. As a result, psychopaths may be at a decreased risk of victimization. On the contrary, research examining the victim-offender overlap indicates that as psychopaths are likely to be involved in criminal behavior they would be more likely to be victimized. This article addresses this gap in the literature by examining whether psychopathic personality traits are associated with odds of victimization in a large nationally representative sample of Americans from adolescence to adulthood. Specifically, our study employs logistic regression and Poisson regression to test associations between psychopathic personality traits and victimization in data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Our findings reveal that psychopathic personality traits are positively associated with odds of victimization in adolescence and adulthood. In addition, our findings indicate that psychopathic personality traits interact with criminal involvement to predict odds of victimization. The findings of our study have implications for the literatures concerning successful psychopathy and the victim-offender overlap.

Psihopatija potpomaže uspeh u radnom okruženju

Psychopathy may be related to some adaptive outcomes in the workplace environment. This phenomenon is called corporate psychopathy and it is based on the assumption that the corporate environment positively selects for psychopathic features, especially in top management. We tested the hypothesis of positive relations between psychopathy traits and workplace success indicators in the sample of 212 working adults (69% females; Mage=33.55[SD=7.38]). We measured psychopathy using the Psychopathy Personality Traits Scale (analyses were performed on two empirically extracted factors from the items of this scale, labelled as Ruthless manipulation and Lack of empathy). We explored workplace success using four variables: 1) managerial vs. operational position in the company, 2) variation in monthly salary, 3) variation in the received bonus for the previous year's performance, and 4) self-reported success in performing job tasks. Correlation and regression analyses provided very similar results: Ruthless manipulation was more pronounced in individuals who were in managerial positions, and those who received a bonus for their performance; Lack of empathy was positively associated with the bonus and self-reported performance success. Ruthless manipulation had a positive zero-order correlation with monthly salary as well, but it did not have an independent contribution to the prediction of this criterion measure. The study results are congruent with the hypothesis that psychopathy is positively associated with various indicators of success in the workplace context. The findings can be interpreted using the concepts of corporate psychopathy and successful psychopathy in general.

Hervey Cleckley (1903-1984): Contributions to the study of psychopathy.

Hervey Cleckley (1903-1984) was probably among the most influential psychiatrists of the 20th century, but the history of his intellectual contributions to psychopathy is not especially well known. Not all of Cleckley's writings have stood the test of time, but others seem prescient, arguably anticipating current debates regarding such contentious issues as successful psychopathy and the treatability of psychopathy. Although Cleckley's seminal writings on psychopathy are familiar to many contemporary scholars, Cleckley's role as an expert witness and his writings on other topics, such as dissociative identity disorder, may be less familiar to many readers. Cleckley's rich and diverse body of work is worth revisiting for its keen insights regarding psychopathy and personality pathology more broadly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

A Study of the Influence of Corporate Psychopathy on Employees’ Attitudes at Work and Home: The Mediating Role of Social Network Service Addiction and the Moderating Effect of Perceived Organizational Support

In general, if employees use SNS excessively rather than working hard, it becomes a matter of great concern in the workplace. However, social network service (SNS) addiction studies in the workplace are rare. The present study was therefore developed to examine organizational behaviors related to SNS addiction in the workplace. For this, the present study collected data from 305 employees in Korean companies through a survey. Results found that, first, the more employees suffer from corporate psychopathy, they are more likely to be addictive in SNS. Second, the more addicted employees are to SNS, their turnover intention and work to family conflict increase. Third, SNS addiction mediates the relationship between corporate psychopathy and employees’ turnover intention and work to family conflict. Finally, when employees perceive more support provided by the organization, they are less likely to be addicted to SNS, which is aroused by corporate psychopathy.

Of Predators and Preys: Corporate Psychopathy and Employee Burnout as Parallels

Different personalities constitute modern workplaces. One of such personalities is the corporate psychopath, whose presence poses manifold threats to organizational existence. This study examines the personality of the corporate psychopath and specifically investigates the relationship between corporate psychopathy and employee burnout. A total of 104 respondents within a university setting in Nigeria completed measures of corporate psychopathy to establish the existence of the traits in their managers; a self-report measure of employee burnout was also completed. Corporate psychopathy correlates positively and significantly with emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and decreased personal accomplishment. Results indicate that corporate psychopathy is an underlying factor of employee burnout. Enhanced whistleblowing structures and ethical regeneration are proffered to mitigate the consequences of corporate psychopathy in the face of cultural complexes that fan its flames.

Twigs on the same branch? Identifying personality profiles in police officers using psychopathic personality traits

Recent high-profile incidents reignited the conversation about psychopathic traits in police officers. Psychopathy is characterized by multiple variants: primary and secondary psychopathy. There is limited research examining psychopathy in populations that may exhibit adaptive psychopathic traits. This study used model-based cluster analyses of high psychopathy scorers to investigate psychopathic subtypes in an urban police sample. Relative to the primary subtype, the secondary group displayed higher levels of Self-Centered Impulsivity, trait anxiety, covert narcissism, borderline personality disorder traits, substance use, psychiatric treatment, and aggression. These findings support the concept of successful psychopathy and the existence of psychopathy profiles in police officers, providing a useful look at how successful psychopathy may manifest as well as implications for the criminal justice system and police departments.

Deconstructing the corporate psychopath: an examination of deceptive behavior

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether business students deceive others more often than non-business students.Design/methodology/approachA cheap talk experiment and an ethics questionnaire are employed to examine the subject’s behavior. Fundamental differences, such as psychopathic personality, are used to examine their role in deceptive and unethical behavior.FindingsThe results show that business students deceive others for personal gain more often than non-business students when there is the most to gain; however, business students find deception committed by others as unethical. Business students exhibit more psychopathic tendencies compared to non-business students, including being more likely to fit the prototypical psychopath profile. This fundamental difference in psychopathy can help explain why individuals deceive others and behave unethically.Practical implicationsThese results have important implications for the business industry and the design of policies.Originality/valueThus, this study endeavors to advance the literature on fundamental distinctions between those who work in high levels of organizations and how this fundamental difference impacts decision making.

Psychopathy and Human Evil: An Overview

The term “psychopath” usually conjures images of serial killers or acts of genocide. Less frequently considered are those who are intelligent enough to avoid detection by the criminal justice system while hiding in the boardrooms of corporations or lurking in the halls of government institutions. This article provides an overview of psychopathy and human evil by exploring the personality characteristics, organization, and cognitive style of the psychopath, the role of superego pathology, contributions from the field of attachment, and ways in which dissociation plays a role in psychopathy and the potential for confusing this with the dissociative structuring of the mind. The article closes with a brief discussion about “corporate” or “successful psychopaths” and how they have a negative impact on culture and society.

Conceptualizing successful psychopathy: An elaboration of the moderated-expression model

Abstract Hall and Benning (2006) and Lilienfeld, Watts, and Smith (2015) proposed the differential-severity, differential-configuration, and moderated-expression models as potential frameworks for conceptualizing successful psychopathy . We argue that two of the three proposed frameworks (the differential-severity model and differential-configuration model) suffer from key conceptual challenges that will impede understanding and limit research on the possible links between psychopathy and successful behavior. Instead, we propose an elaboration of the moderated-expression model offers the most potential for advancing understanding of successful psychopathy. This elaboration is accomplished by (a) defining success in a more nuanced manner that encompasses consideration of both avoidance of negative outcomes and attainment of positive outcomes; (b) distinguishing between core psychopathic traits versus moderating traits external to psychopathy; (c) emphasizing the importance of situational context in determining success; and (d) providing a categorization scheme for different classes of potential moderators (structural, environmental, contextual) of the link between psychopathy and success.

The Dark Side Of Leader Behavior: Putting the Corporate Psychopaths Theory Under Scrutiny

This paper is an investigation of Corporate Psychopaths Theory and other dispositional explanations of corporate wrongdoing that emphasize so called “dark traits” (psychopathy, narcissism and Machi...

The influence of psychopathic traits on the acceptance of white-collar crime: do corporate psychopaths cook the books and misuse the news?

Due to several empirical shortcomings in the research of personality characteristics in ethical decision making, we address in this paper the concept of corporate psychopathy in the organizational context. Corporate psychopaths are individuals successfully working in organizations, but are selfish, manipulative, and exhibit a lack of empathy, remorse, and conscience; therefore, they may be viewed as risk factors for organizations. While there is abundant literature on the connection between clinical psychopathy and criminal behavior, such research is scarce in the business context where successful psychopaths operate. Thus, we examine if the malevolent traits of corporate psychopaths predict the acceptance of different forms of white-collar crime. In doing so, we conduct two survey studies in which we first measure participants’ psychopathic tendencies and then assess their acceptance of either an accounting fraud or an insider-trading situation. Consistent with our hypotheses and across both studies, we find a highly significant relationship between personality traits that are associated with corporate psychopathy and the acceptance of white-collar crime. This paper discusses the implications of these findings and identifies some potentially useful approaches for excluding corporate psychopaths from organizations.

Deconstructing the Corporate Psychopath: An Examination of Deceptive Behavior

This paper examines whether business students deceive others more often than non-business students. A cheap talk experiment and an ethics questionnaire are employed to examine the subject’s behavior. Fundamental differences, such as psychopathic personality, are used to examine their role in deceptive and unethical behavior. The results show that business students deceive others for personal gain more often than non-business students when there is the most to gain; however, business students find deception committed by others as unethical. Business students exhibit more psychopathic tendencies compared to non-business students, including being more likely to fit the prototypical psychopath profile. This fundamental difference in psychopathy can help explain why individuals deceive others and behave unethically. These results have important implications for the business industry and the design of policies. Thus, this study endeavors to advance the literature on fundamental distinctions between those who work in high levels of organizations and how this fundamental difference impacts decision making.