Cynical people desire power but rarely acquire it: Exploring the role of cynicism in leadership attainment
Olga Stavrova,
Daniel Ehlebracht,
Dongning Ren
Abstract:Do cynical individuals have a stronger desire for power and are they more likely to acquire power at work? The negative consequences of cynicism—for cynics themselves and the people around them—render the examination of these questions particularly important. We first examined the role of cynicism in power motives. Results showed that more cynical individuals have a greater desire for power to avoid exploitation by others (and less so to exploit others; Study 1) and score higher on dominance (but not prestige … Show more
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