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Why some managers might positively evaluate subordinates with dark personality traits

Eric J. Mercadante,Karl Aquino,Steven Heine,Daniel Skarlicki

Published 2026 in Journal of Managerial Psychology

ABSTRACT

Although many studies show that individuals with antisocial (or “dark”) personality traits (e.g. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism) can negatively impact organizations and their members, they are nonetheless routinely found across levels of organizations (Pfeffer, 2021). In the present research, we explore a novel reason why some managers might evaluate subordinates high in dark personality traits positively: they are perceived to facilitate the achievement of managers' agentic goals. In addition, we use dual-strategies theory to identify managers who are most likely to prioritize agentic goals over communal goals (dominance-oriented managers) and managers who are equally motivated to pursue agentic and communal goals (prestige-oriented managers). We test our hypotheses across two main studies (and two supplemental studies; total N = 1,209) wherein workplace managers evaluated job candidates who varied in dark personality traits (Study 1) and provided ratings of the dark personality traits of their favorite and least favorite subordinate (Study 2). We find evidence that (1) positive evaluations toward subordinates high in dark personality traits emerge, in part, from managers' motivation to achieve agentic goals, and (2) dominance-oriented managers evaluate these subordinates more positively, in part, as a result of a prioritization of agentic goals. The findings provide novel insight into why managers can evaluate subordinates with dark personality traits positively and which managers are most likely to do so.

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