Compare and contrast the characteristics of each part of the Dark Triad and their outcomes.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies but should include parts of the following: The Dark Triad is comprised of
Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy. Narcissism is the expression of
grandiosity, entitlement, dominance, and superiority. Narcissists can therefore appear
charming or pleasant in the short term but in the long term, they have difficulty trusting
others and fail to develop effective working relationships. Psychopathy has been
described as impulsivity and thrill seeking combined with low empathy and anxiety.
Such individuals lack feelings of guilt, are impulsive, and seek immediate gratification of
their needs. A study of Dark Triad personality and the exercise of power at work found
that Psychopathy and Machiavellianism were associated the use of hard tactics such as
threats and manipulation. However, Machiavellianism and narcissism were related to
reliance on soft tactics such as charm, ingratiation, and giving compliments. This study
also found that The Dark Triad pattern results in men using hard tactics (being forceful)
thank women. You might be wondering if such toxic employees or “bad guys” win at
work. A study of 793 employees in their early careers found that narcissism was
positively related to salary, Machiavellianism was positively related to leadership
position and career satisfaction; however, psychopathy was negatively related to all
career outcomes. Thus, The Dark Triad as a combination did not predict career
satisfaction and success but individual traits may have a relationship to higher salary.