[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-46160-en":3,"doc-seo-46160-105":29,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":90},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":11,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":27,"read_time":28},46160,1374391974468,"Eden","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0",2,"Literature","The Devil in the Boardroom Corporate Psychopaths and Their Impact on Business","The review examines non-criminal “corporate psychopaths” and contrasts them with incarcerated psychopaths to clarify who they are and where they are most likely to appear in organizations. Although corporate psychopaths may retain higher executive functioning than incarcerated counterparts, they still show psychopathic traits linked to disruptive behavior in business settings. Literature review findings indicate they mainly occupy higher management and high-power roles, with implications for human resource hiring and promotion to support ethical business practices.","PURE Insights  \n\n| Volume 1 | Article 9 |\n| --- | --- |\n| 2012\u003Cbr>The Devil in the Boardroom: Corporate Psychopaths and Their Impact on Business\u003Cbr>Sophia Wellons\u003Cbr>Western Oregon University, [swellons08@wou.edu](swellons08@wou.edu)\u003Cbr>Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure](https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure)\u003Cbr> Part of the Cognitive Psychology Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, and the Personality and Social Contexts Commons |  |\n\nRecommended Citation  \nWellons, Sophia (2012) \"The Devil in the Boardroom: Corporate Psychopaths and Their Impact on Business,\" PURE Insights: Vol. 1 , Article 9.  \nAvailable at: [https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure/vol1/iss1/9](https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure/vol1/iss1/9)  \nThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion in PURE Insights by an authorized editor of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, [please contact digitalcommons@wou.edu](please contact digitalcommons@wou.edu).  \nThe Devil in the Boardroom: Corporate Psychopaths and Their Impact on Business  \nAbstract  \nWhile most research focuses on the incarcerated psychopath, there is a limited body of work that centers on the non-criminal psychopaths that might even appear successful in their careers. The aim of this review was to compare and contrast research on non-incarcerated,“Corporate Psychopaths” to distinguish who they are and where they are most likely to be found. It was discovered that Corporate Psychopaths, while retaining a higher executive functioning than their incarcerated counterparts, displayed many psychopathic traits that relate back to disruptive behavior in the business world. Based on a review of the literature we have concluded that these individuals mainly reside in higher management, high power roles in companies, and that this information is of particular use for human resource hiring and promoting personnel in order to maintain a healthy business that abides by accepted ethical standards  \nKeywords  \npsychopath, corporate bullying, business ethics  \nCover Page Footnote  \nI would like to thank Dr. Winningham and Dr. Keulks for the help and assistance I received on this project as well as the American Psychiatric Association for permission to include copyrighted diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder.  \nThis article is available in PURE Insights: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure/vol1/iss1/9  \nA publication of the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences at Western Oregon University  \nThe Devil in the Boardroom: Corporate Psychopaths and Their Impact on Business  \nSophia Wellons Western Oregon University Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Rob Winningham  \nWhile most research focuses on the incarcerated psychopath, there is a limited body of work that centers on the non-criminal psychopaths that might even appear successful in their careers. The aim of this review was to compare and contrast research on non-incarcerated, “Corporate Psychopaths” to distinguish who they are and where they are most likely to be found. It was discovered that Corporate Psychopaths, while retaining a higher executive functioning than their incarcerated counterparts, displayed many psychopathic traits that relate back to disruptive behavior in the business world. Based on a review of the literature we have concluded that these individuals mainly reside in higher management, high power roles in companies, and that this information is of particular use for human resource hiring and promoting personnel in order to maintain a healthy business that abides by accepted ethical standards.  \nKeywords: psychopath, corporate bullying, business ethics  \nIntroduction  \nMost images about psychopaths have to do with criminals: the serial killer, the gang leader, the con man, and the general career criminal. However, known criminals are not the only psychopa","cbCaij2HETsugtsX","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaij2HETsugtsX","pdf",222868,1,6,"English","en",105,"# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# Measuring Psychopathy","[{\"question\":\"What is the main focus of the review discussed in the document?\",\"answer\":\"The review focuses on non-incarcerated “corporate psychopaths,” comparing their traits and workplace likelihood with incarcerated psychopaths.\"},{\"question\":\"How do corporate psychopaths differ from incarcerated psychopaths according to the document?\",\"answer\":\"Corporate psychopaths are described as retaining higher executive functioning than incarcerated counterparts while still displaying traits tied to disruptive business behavior.\"},{\"question\":\"Where in companies are corporate psychopaths mainly reported to reside, and why does it matter?\",\"answer\":\"The document concludes they mainly appear in higher management and high-power roles, and the information is presented as useful for human resource hiring and promotion to help maintain ethical standards.\"}]",1783471712,9,{"code":4,"msg":30,"data":31},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":32,"title":13,"keywords":33,"description":14,"schema_data":34,"social_meta":85,"head_meta":87,"extra_data":89,"updated_unix":27},"the-devil-in-the-boardroom-corporate-psychopaths-and-their-impact-on-business","",{"@graph":35,"@context":84},[36,52,67],{"@type":37,"itemListElement":38},"BreadcrumbList",[39,43,46,49],{"item":40,"name":41,"@type":42,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":44,"name":45,"@type":42,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",{"item":47,"name":12,"@type":42,"position":48},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/",3,{"item":50,"name":13,"@type":42,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-devil-in-the-boardroom-corporate-psychopaths-and-their-impact-on-business/46160/",4,{"url":50,"name":13,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":13,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":61,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":62,"interactionStatistic":63},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":40,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-11","2026-07-08",true,{"@type":64,"interactionType":65,"userInteractionCount":11},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":66},"ViewAction",{"@type":68,"mainEntity":69},"FAQPage",[70,76,80],{"name":71,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":73},"What is the main focus of the review discussed in the document?","Question",{"text":74,"@type":75},"The review focuses on non-incarcerated “corporate psychopaths,” comparing their traits and workplace likelihood with incarcerated psychopaths.","Answer",{"name":77,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":78},"How do corporate psychopaths differ from incarcerated psychopaths according to the document?",{"text":79,"@type":75},"Corporate psychopaths are described as retaining higher executive functioning than incarcerated counterparts while still displaying traits tied to disruptive business behavior.",{"name":81,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":82},"Where in companies are corporate psychopaths mainly reported to reside, and why does it matter?",{"text":83,"@type":75},"The document concludes they mainly appear in higher management and high-power roles, and the information is presented as useful for human resource hiring and promotion to help maintain ethical standards.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":50,"og:type":86,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":57,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":88,"canonical":50},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":91},[92,96,99,103,108,112,117,122,126,129,133],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},80,"literature",{"id":51,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":104,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":21,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":109,"show_sort_weight":110,"slug":111},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":113,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":114,"show_sort_weight":115,"slug":116},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":28,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":123,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":125},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":127,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":128},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":130,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":131,"show_sort_weight":130,"slug":132},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":134,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":135,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":136},19,"General","general"]