Dark Personality Traits Can Aid Career Progression But Cause Dangerous Ripple Effects, Research Finds

People who display traits such as narcissism, machiavellianism, greed or psychopathy in professional settings can provide certain assets to organisations, but they must be managed carefully, suggests a new international research collection led by Durham University Business School.

These traits can, paradoxically, create positive outcomes for organisations. But such success comes at a price.

The findings are part of an extensive collection of papers dedicated to exploring the impact of dark-side personality traits in organizations. “Heroes or Villains? Advancing the Understanding of Dark Personality Traits in Organizations” published in the Journal of Managerial Psychology contains seven articles which delve into leadership psychology, examining how dark traits manifest, disrupt work behaviour and practice, and impact relationships on an individual and organisational level.

The papers uncover the mechanisms and vulnerabilities that can trigger harmful interactional dynamics, and use these findings to highlight how liabilities can turn into assets or vice versa.

Despite dark personality traits aiding career progression and securing some business wins, the researchers warn they can create a dangerous ripple effect. Not only do dark-side personality traits negatively influence how an individual leader operates, they can also put wider staff performance, relationships and wellbeing at risk.

“Toxic work environments created by dark personalities can contribute to stress, burnout, and mental health problems among employees, which in turn erode job satisfaction, performance, and retention,” warns Professor Susanne Braun, a co-author of the collection.

Authors of one article in the collection warn that significant gaps remain in understanding and mitigating their full impact, meaning such behaviour often goes unchecked and unchallenged due, in part, to a dark allure experienced by followers.

The research collection provides policymakers, organisations, and their members with several pathways to follow in reflecting the risks and considering interventions that can mitigate the destructive impact of dark personalities and work positively with them before they can cause long-term damage.

For example, Professor Braun states, fear of power loss, fascination, and greed can all contribute to creating downward spirals that organisations must overcome. The research collection recommends practices such as diverse hiring, selection, and promotion approaches to reinforce organisational robustness.

“In particular, the role of followers’ responses to dark side leaders came to the forefront in as an essential dynamic to consider,” Professor Braun continues. “Organisations can support employees in these situations by fostering psychological safety and reducing anxiety.”

The collection has been brought together by Susanne Braun of Durham University Business School, alongside Sandra Diller of Seeburg Castle Private University, Dritjon Gruda of Universidade Catolica Portuguesa and Porto Business School, and Daniel N. Jones of the University of Nevada, and has been published as a Special Edition of the Journal of Managerial Psychology, by Emerald.



/ENDS

Notes to editors


Heroes or Villains? Advancing the Understanding of Dark Personality Traits in Organizations, has been published as a Special Edition of the Journal of Managerial Psychology, by Emerald. The introduction is available with open access, as well as an editorial by the research authors containing an overview of their work and several recommendations for future explorations.