Corporate Psychopaths and Their Proclivity for Infiltrating Organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the size (small, medium, or large), type (traditional vs. teamwork-based), and state (chaotic vs. organized) of organizations that are most attractive to corporate psychopaths. By identifying the specific types of organizations which are most attractive to a psychopathic candidate, it becomes easier to know where and when screening methods specifically for psychopathy should be applied during the hiring process. Using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, 188 participants responded to items measuring corporate psychopathy, organizational structure of their current workplace, and several demographic questions. Only one of the three hypotheses was confirmed, suggesting that people higher in psychopathic traits are more attracted to organizations with chaotic environments. No significant relationships were found between psychopathic traits and size or type of the organization.