Research on the dark triad of personality traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) has been focused primarily on negative work outcomes. In the current study (Medina-Craven et al., 2025), the researchers took a different approach by investigating how the dark triad, especially when influenced by the love of money, impacts employee pay and job satisfaction.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
Researchers conducted two online surveys of 211 participants across a variety of industries. In the first survey, participants were asked about their dark triad traits and demographics information. In the second survey, participants were asked about their love of money, their pay satisfaction, and their job satisfaction.
Researchers found that participants who scored high on the dark triad traits also tended to have a greater level of job satisfaction, which was impacted by their love of money. When participants were satisfied with their pay, they also reported a higher level of overall job satisfaction. These results held evenly across all dark triad traits; there wasn’t one that caused a greater amount of satisfaction than another.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
This research offers a more balanced perspective of the dark triad, which historically has been viewed only in a negative light. Organizations that want to use this research should consider doing the following:
- Learn what motivates each employee and contributes to their job satisfaction. Motivation is an individual concept and should be treated as such.
- Tailor incentives to match employee motivators. Employees who score high on the dark triad may be more motivated by the love of money, which could be utilized to help motivate performance, engagement, and job satisfaction.
- Recognize that for some employees, money may mean more than just financial compensation, as it may be tied to a signal status. This is especially true for those scoring high on dark triad traits.
Medina-Craven, M. N., Moake, T. R., Steele, C. R., & Bracamonte, M. (2025). I’m worth it: A moderated mediation model of the relationship between the dark triad and job satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 246, 113353.
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