Summary by Taffy Chan and the North American Research Committee
Highlights
- Previous research has found that psychopathy in the workplace has been associated with an array of negative outcomes (e.g., dissatisfaction in the workplace). Even so, the presence of someone with psychopathic traits may also present an opportunity for post-traumatic growth within individuals who have these kinds of lived experiences.
- Participants were adults who had worked with a colleague/supervisor who exhibited psychopathic traits and reported on the supports they employed, coping strategies they used, and lessons they learned during this experience.
- The use of approach coping strategies was associated with experiencing post-traumatic growth, such that individuals were able to identify and/or develop positive outlooks.
- The experience of working with an individual with psychopathic traits is often traumatic and negatively impacts the well-being of individuals. In considering the survivor experience of corporate psychopathy, it may be valuable to examine both negative and potential positive outlooks from these adverse events. As such, understanding how to promote post-traumatic growth can help to develop and make use of appropriate strategies/supports to assist individuals who face such situations in the workplace.
Background:
The notion of a “successful psychopath” refers to individuals with psychopathic characteristics (e.g., lack of remorse, having a grandiose sense of self, engaging in impulsive behavior or malicious/aggressive behaviour that harms others) who have avoided consequences (e.g., trouble with the law), and instead have obtained positive life outcomes, such as successful employment. As such, there has been a growing interest to learn more about how psychopathy can affect the workplace. Research has found that employees report negative experiences when they have worked with individuals who exhibit psychopathic traits, including increased workplace bullying, and lower job satisfaction. As well, these adverse or traumatic events also have negative impacts on an individual’s well-being, including increased emotional distress. These effects may also be further magnified given that individuals with psychopathic traits are also more likely to be supervisors or hold more senior-ranking positions in the workplace (Spencer & Bryne, 2016). However, even in the face of negative experiences or adversity, experiences with psychopathic co-workers may also present an opportunity for post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth can be regarded as a positive transformation in the lives of survivors after the occurrence of negative events, through identifying areas for growing and developing a sense of resiliency. Previous studies have indicated that the availability of social support and the use of effective coping strategies for people with lived experiences of trauma have been linked to experiencing more post-traumatic growth.
What was the goal of the study?
To understand more about the potential positive outcomes of workplace psychopathy, this study assessed survivors’ perceived experiences working with individuals with psychopathic traits and its impact on post-traumatic growth.
How did the researchers do the study?
Participants were 285 individuals and survivors (aged 35 to 75 years old; 76% women) who reported they had worked with a colleague or supervisor with psychopathic traits. These individuals were recruited through sites such as LinkedIn, psychopathy-related sites (e.g., the Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy Foundation), and Mechanical Turk. Participants were asked to complete online questionnaires regarding their demographics, years working with individuals with psychopathic traits, coping strategies, the kinds of psychopathic traits their colleague or supervisor displayed, and the amount of post-traumatic growth survivors experienced. In addition, open-ended questions were asked about supports they had received from family and friends, their ideas for how to deal with inappropriate behaviors, and whether they felt they had learned important lessons having worked with someone with psychopathic traits.
What did the researchers find?
The majority of participants rated their identified colleague or supervisor as exhibiting a high level of psychopathic traits. Both higher levels of psychopathic traits in their colleague or supervisor and the use of approach coping strategies were linked to the experience of post-traumatic growth, including appreciating life and fostering personal strength. With respect to the open-ended questions, 74% of survivors reported they had received some type of support from their friends, family, and colleagues, and emotional support was the most common. With regards to coping strategies reported by the survivors, the three most common were: emotion-focused coping (e.g., developing skills to reduce negative emotions), avoidance (e.g., taking actions to avoid or limit contact with the person with psychopathic traits), and problem-focused coping (e.g., learning about psychopathy and bullying, approaching human resources). Survivors also described learning opportunities and growth they experienced as a result of their encounters. The growth outcomes that participants reported include improving their mental strength, adopting more effective coping skills, learning more about themselves, developing a better ability to identify psychopathic traits, and knowing how to behave in similar future situations. However, survivors also endorsed negative growth experiences such as becoming more distrustful of others and suffering from negative emotions (e.g., shame and depression).
What are the implications?
Overall, these findings suggest that incorporating the use of approach coping strategies may be helpful for promoting post-traumatic growth for survivors with lived experiences of working with individuals exhibiting psychopathic traits. However, the researchers also acknowledged that some survivors only experienced very negative effects from their experiences with people with psychopathy. The study also highlights a crucial need for workplaces to develop effective programs to support their employees, promote prosocial leadership skills, and provide a mechanism for employees to communicate their concerns about co-workers and supervisors, including harmful or abusive behaviours that individuals may have been subjected to.
Reference
Stewart, J., Forth, A., & Beaudette, J. (2022). Working with a psychopath: Is there light at the end of the tunnel? International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 66(15), 1726-1751.
Spencer, R. J., & Byrne, M. K. (2016). Relationship between the extent of psychopathic features among corporate managers and subsequent employee job satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences., 101, 440–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.044
