Climbing the corporate ladder: desired leadership skills and successful psychopaths

Abstract

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.

How So Many Toxic Employees Ascend to Leadership

“…This helps to explain the outstanding levels of greed, risk taking with other people's money and lack of integrity that characterized employees in the corporate banks involved in the GFC. Findings demonstrated that corporations were seeking the characteristics that are synonymous to the personality traits of the primary psychopath, which would tend to increase the propensity of successful psychopaths being present in the workplace (Hill and Scott 2019).…”

Finding psychopaths in white-collar jobs: a review of the evidence and why it matters

“…Primary psychopaths are more likely to go into university to study business (Litten et al , 2020), and this indicates their interest in the material rewards of a corporate career. Once established in organisational roles, their political and networking skills help their further advancement (Kholin et al , 2020) as they look attractive to human relations practitioners (HR because of their appearance and apparent effectiveness (Hill and Scott, 2019), and consequently there are more corporate psychopaths at the top of organisations (Babiak et al , 2010). In senior positions, corporate psychopaths can yield extraordinary power (de Vries, 2012), but they make less effective decisions than other managers do (ten Brinke et al , 2018).…”

“…Primary psychopaths are more likely to go into university to study business (Litten et al, 2020), and this indicates their interest in the material rewards of a corporate career. Once established in organisational roles, their political and networking skills help their further advancement (Kholin et al, 2020) as they look attractive to human relations practitioners (HR because of their appearance and apparent effectiveness (Hill and Scott, 2019), and consequently there are more corporate psychopaths at the top of organisations (Babiak et al, 2010) To successfully address existential threats posed by leaders, employee groups need a good level of integration if they are to successfully engage in concerted action to counter those threats (Schein, 1983). However, corporate psychopaths disintegrate groups via their divide and conquer tactics which minimise opposition to the psychopath (Clarke, 2005).…”

A systematic review on the current conceptualisations of successful psychopathy

“…One paper performed a content analysis for the inclusion of characteristics prominent in psychopathic personalities (PPDPRCL) on 25 executive job advertisements (Hill & Scott, 2019). The results demonstrated that corporations are seeking applicants with traits synonymous with factor 1 psychopathy, with 96% of adverts seeking those with the affectiveinterpersonal traits associated with psychopathic personality.…”

“…Successful psychopathy is most prominently discussed in terms of professional achievement, however, findings surrounding corporate psychopathy or professional success with psychopathic traits demonstrated some conflicting positions. Firstly, there were accounts of individuals with psychopathic traits being more likely to be in senior management positions (Spencer & Byrne, 2016), acquiring professional success (Howe et al, 2014), and corporations seeking out those who exhibit psychopathic traits for executive job positions (Hill & Scott, 2019). However, Boddy (2014) demonstrated that corporate psychopathy was associated with maladaptive workplace behaviours and unfavourable workplace environments.…”