Investigating corporate psychopaths using management research methods – main findings so far

Speaker: Clive Boddy, Middlesex University

Date and time: Thursday 3rd April, 4:00pm, room HG03

Title: “Investigating corporate psychopaths using management research methods – main findings so far"

Abstract:
Clive will speak about his research into corporate psychopaths in Australia and the UK. This will cover who they are, how they are identified and what effects they have in organisations. Clive will outline three research studies that have been undertaken so far including a 2008 quantitative study of 346 Australian senior white collar workers, a 2011 quantitative study of 304 British senior white collar workers and a 2013 qualitative study among 7 British managers.

Findings include that corporate psychopaths are important because they: Are more frequently at the top of western organisations than the bottom; Influence workplace behaviour such as conflict and bullying, unfair supervision, workload, job satisfaction, withdrawal, organisational constraints and corporate social responsibility; Are willing to engage in the illegal dumping of toxic waste materials; Influence customer service levels, managerial trust, credibility and ethical leadership; Engage in fraud and cause accounting scandals and are assumed to have had a major influence on the behaviour that caused the global financial crisis.

Bio:
Clive has been a Professor at Middlesex University Business School since 2000 when he was made a Professor in Marketing as one of ten Professors in Management Practice that were appointed that year.  After that he was a Visiting Professor in Marketing for eight years until 2011 and was then appointed Professor in Leadership and Organisation Behaviour in 2012. He has been researching corporate psychopaths and their influence on organisational outcomes since 2005.  Prior to academia he worked in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia where in his roles as Company President and Group Board Director he successfully led high growth market research companies at country manager level and at regional (Asia-Pacific) level. He successfully co-founded a multi-national market research company before moving into academia.