Colleagues' 'dark side' can create toxic workplaces - study

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It may pay to take a closer look at your colleagues - one may be a corporate psychopath with a "dark side" capable of creating a toxic workplace.

Up to one in 10 New Zealand workplaces harboured a psychopathically oriented worker who functioned within normal society yet victimised colleagues and harmed business with their dark side, research had shown.

The Auckland University Business School's Department of Management said its research showed some corporate psychopaths had such dysfunctional personalities they could create toxic workplaces "and could seriously traumatise workers to the point of suicide".

Psychologist and senior lecturer in management Dr Giles Burch said most people with personalities which fitted under the psychopathic umbrella did not commit obvious crime, and were not imprisoned or hospitalised.

They functioned within normal society, often with apparent success and the respect of their bosses, he said in a statement.

"However, psychopaths are generally highly destructive and manipulative individuals with dark sides who have no remorse for their actions, which can result in a range of serious issues for organisation and the people within them.

"We all come across people at work from time to time who are difficult, devious and troublesome," he said.

"They are typically only interested in power, control, domination and subjugation, and it is believed that female psychopaths are more dangerous than males as they are more socially skilful in their manipulation.

"Victims of corporate psychopaths can experience intense and sometimes prolonged symptoms as a result of the glib deception.

"Insomnia, intense self-doubt and mild depression are very common, and in more severe cases chronic anxiety, depression, despair and even suicidal ideation can result from the destruction of jobs, careers, joint ventures or businesses."

International research had showed unrelenting stress from a toxic workplace caused anxiety and clinical depression in 30 per cent of female and 20 per cent of male targets, Dr Burch said.

The damage by a corporate psychopath was not limited to the primary victims but also affected colleagues, families and friends.

Psychopathic behaviour covered a wide spectrum - from the devious, manipulative and bullying behaviour of an employee who was a high achiever and very sought after by management, to the compulsive violence of a hardened criminal.

The damage caused by psychopaths was potentially huge and impacted a business as a whole, individual staff, customers, suppliers and joint venture partners.

Genetic tendencies of a psychopath such as glibness or superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, pathological lying, cunning and manipulative behaviour, lack of remorse, guilt or empathy, a sense of impulsive non-conformism, sensation-seeking, egocentrism, disloyalty and narcissism, could take a huge toll on other employees, Dr Burch said.

They could hide their tendencies and were often promoted to senior positions with power, the research showed.

They could be difficult to remove from businesses and were likely to become highly abusive and litigious when threatened with job termination.

- NZPA