Machiavellianism in the workplace
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Machiavellianism in the workplace is a concept studied by many organizational psychologists. Conceptualized originally by Richard Christie and Florence Geis, Machiavellianism refers to a psychological trait concept where individuals behave in a cold and duplicitous manner.[1][2] It has in recent times been adapted and applied to the context of the workplace and organizations by many writers and academics.
Oliver James wrote on the effects of Machiavellianism and other dark triad personality traits in the workplace, the others being narcissism and psychopathy.[3]
A new model of Machiavellianism based in organizational settings consists of three factors:[4]
- maintaining power
- harsh management tactics
- manipulative behaviors.
Examples of behaviors that individuals high in Machiavellianism may do include:[5]
- Theft (tangible or intangible)
- Lying/Deceit
- Sabotage
- Cheating (passive or active)
High Machs can exhibit high levels of charisma, and their leadership can be beneficial in some areas.[6]
The presence of Machiavellianism in an organization has been positively correlated with counterproductive workplace behaviour and workplace deviance.[4]
The origin of Machiavellianism entering the workplace can be tied to multiple factors, such as distrust towards others, pessimism, survival/self-protection tactics, or even the gender of involved parties.[7]