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2024 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

3. Assessing Psychopathy in the Workplace

Authors : Russ Curtis, John Sherlock, Russell Frelinghuysen

Published in: Psychopathy in the Workplace

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

Effectively screening potential employees for psychopathy is essential to building and maintaining a healthy, ethical, and productive workplace. Psychopathy is a problematic psychological syndrome characterized by superficial charm, manipulation, lack of empathy, an exaggerated sense of importance, deceit, theft, and even violence. While it is apparent that these traits are counterproductive in the workplace, accurately identifying people with these characteristics can be challenging. In this chapter, we discuss the subtle signs of corporate psychopathy and a practical protocol to help detect potential psychopathic employees.

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Metadata
Title
Assessing Psychopathy in the Workplace
Authors
Russ Curtis
John Sherlock
Russell Frelinghuysen
Copyright Year
2024
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55214-4_3

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