The findings suggest that employees with dark traits may be more willing to take on tasks others avoid, so managers see them as useful for work that could harm the manager’s own reputation, such as enacting unpopular policies, disciplining staff or conducting layoffs.

“Throughout history and in organizations, there are people who have to do dirty, bad things that a lot of people don’t want to do, and perhaps dark personalities are better able to do those than those who lack these traits,” he said. “A leader recognizes a place for people who seem to violate conventional norms of what it is to be a good person.”

This explains the big management consulting firms like McKinsey to a T.

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 22 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Some managers see themselves in those kinds of people, and therefore sympathize with them. Just my perspective anyway.

[–] DandomRude@piefed.social 14 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, I agree, especially since selfishness, ruthlessness, and greed are traits that promise profits - and (short-term) profits are the only, or at least the primary, measure by which most managers’ performance is judged (Shareholder Value, Quarterly revenue figures, and such). It is therefore quite likely that current managers also exhibit these traits and thus fill positions with people who are similar to them. It appears to be a systemic vicious cycle that allows for hardly any exceptions.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

And this is why we invented democracy.

[–] DandomRude@piefed.social 4 points 9 hours ago

Yes, in principle, but unfortunately there are many politicians who do not act in the interests of the people. This is evident simply from the fact that the richest of the rich are getting richer and richer, even though this is by no means in the interests of a country’s citizens.

While there are neo-capitalist approaches such as "trickle-down economics" even after decades of pursuing them, what they postulate has never come to pass - instead, exactly what was to be expected has occurred: tax revenues are plummeting, resulting in a lack of funds for investments in socially vital sectors and infrastructure, and the standard of living for citizens is steadily declining.

The result is that a kind of new monarchy of billionaires has emerged, who use their enormous influence through corruption and lobbying so ruthlessly that today there is hardly a capitalist-democratic state left that still serves the interests of its citizens.

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 8 points 9 hours ago

They work harder and take credit for other people's work.

It's all about optics. Ruthless people ruthless control their optics, normal people don't.