Corporate psychopathy: talking the walk. (2010)

“Better vetting procedures to assess psychopathic traits may help prevent those who excel at ‘‘talking the walk’’ from sliding into the pre-management ranks. Even so, it is likely that sour cream will continue to rise to the top.

Paul Babiak, HRBackOffice
Craig S. Neumann, University of North Texas
Robert D. Hare, University of British Columbia and Darkstone Research Group. 

Behavioral Sciences & Law,
Volume 28, Issue 2, pages 174–193, March/April 2010

“… a high level of psychopathic traits does not necessarily impede progress and advancement in corporate organizations.

“Most of the participants with high psychopathy scores held high-ranking executive positions, and their companies had invited them to participate in management development programs. This was in spite of negative performance reviews and other 360⁰ data in the hands of corporate decision makers.

“…the patterns … suggest that psychopathy is more strongly associated with style than with substance. Presumably, impression-management and the ability to present well can obscure or trump subpar performance and behaviors that are damaging to the organization.

“In this sense, the devil is in the details. Better vetting procedures and using instruments designed to assess psychopathic and other problematical traits may help prevent those who excel at ‘‘talking the walk’’ from sliding into the pre-management ranks. Even so, it is likely that sour cream will continue to rise to the top.”

Access the full paper here: Corporate psychopathy: talking the walk.