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During the past decade, there has been a steep increase in the scholarly literature on Machiavellian leadership. However, no systematic literature review has been conducted to synthesise, analyse and identify the trends, tensions and gaps in Machiavellian leadership. Therefore, the authors examine empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals since 2000, with an impact factor of Q2 or above in the SCImago ranking list. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.

Using the systematic literature review approach, a review protocol was developed to define the focus of the study, the search strategy and the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies in the review process. The authors developed a keyword search query using terms “Machiavellian” OR “Dark Triads” and “leadership”. The authors’ search was limited to publications in the English language and with the search terms in either the abstract or keywords of the publication. The review consisted of 576 peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles, out of which 53 articles were selected for the final analysis.

The analysis reveals how the unidimensional nature of most studies and limited contextual and ontological orientations curtail the development of the relational perspective of Machiavellian leadership. The authors propose a way forward, new insights and opportunities for future research in the field.

This is the first systematic literature review on Machiavellian leadership. Although the research in Machiavellian leadership is reaching a stage of maturity, this review exposes limitations and gaps in research.

This paper aims to examine the influence of the interplay between servant leadership behaviors and Machiavellianism on leader effectiveness.

Drawing on trait activation theory and motivation to lead theory, the authors hypothesize that the effect of servant leadership behaviors on perceived leadership effectiveness is manifested differently in teams with high-Machiavellian vs. low-Machiavellian leaders. In teams with low-Machiavellian leaders, servant leadership behaviors are expected to be associated with a cooperative way of handling team conflicts, which enhances employees' leader effectiveness ratings. In contrast, in teams with high-Machiavellian leaders, this mediation role vanishes due to the incongruency between Machiavellian traits and the cooperative context. The authors conducted a two-wave survey-based study and tested the hypotheses with a matched supervisor-employee sample from 310 employees and their leaders in 91 teams.

The results showed that servant leadership behaviors positively impact leadership effectiveness and that this effect takes place through cooperative team conflict management (TCM) without controlling for leaders' Machiavellian trait. Further analysis shows this mediation mechanism is only strong and significant in teams led by low-Machiavellian leaders, but not high-Machiavellian leaders.

To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study that examines the interplay of servant leadership behaviors and Machiavellianism on perceived leader effectiveness.

本文旨在探討僕人式領導行為與馬基雅維利主義之間的相互作用會如何影響領導效能。

我們根據特質激活理論和領導動機理論、建立了一個假設，這個假設就是： 僕人式領導行為對感知的領導效能所產生並顯示出來的影響、是會視乎團隊是高/強馬基雅維利主義，還是低/弱馬基雅維利主義而有所分別的。若團隊的領導者是低/弱馬基雅維利主義的話，僕人式領導行為大概會與使用合作的方式去處理團隊衝突有相互之關聯，這會提高僱員對領導效能的評分。與此相反，若團隊的領導者是高/強馬基雅維利主義的話，這調節作用和角色將會因馬基雅維利主義的特質與合作的環境之間存在著不協調而消失。我們進行了一個兩波的、以及基於調查的研究，在這研究中，我們利用管理者和員工相應的樣本來測試各個假設;這些樣本包括91個團隊內的310名員工及其領導者。

研究結果顯示、僕人式領導行為對領導效能會產生積極的影響，而這影響是透過以合作方式管理團隊衝突而產生的，亦沒有對領導者的馬基雅維利主義特質加以管控。我們進一步的分析顯示、這調節機制只會在由低/弱馬基雅維利主義的領導者領導的團隊內顯得強烈和顯著，但若領導者是高/強馬基雅維利主義的話，情況就不一樣了。

盡我們所知，本研究為首個研究、去探討僕人式領導行為與馬基雅維利主義之間的相互作用會如何影響感知的領導效能。

The objective of this study is: 1) to examine the effect of whistleblowing system and fraud intention, 2) the impact of Machiavellianism personality and fraud intention, 3) the interaction effect between whistleblowing system, Machiavellianism personality and fraud intention.

This study carried out a 2 × 2 between-subjects true experimental research design, using the Web-based tool. The subjects were 75 accounting undergraduate students from seven universities in Indonesia who were enrolled for auditing courses.

This study shows that fraud intention increases with the absence of a whistleblowing system. This research also shows that higher Machiavellianism increases individual fraud intention.

The poor internet connection contributes to obstruction in accessing the experimental website. Few participants were required to repeat the completion of the experimental module.

This study contributes to developing the whistleblowing system to mitigate fraud intention in organizations considering the personality trait of the individual.

This study suggests the importance of a better understanding of fraud mechanisms to enhance the awareness of the whistleblowing system.

This study uses the whistleblowing system as a proxy for an opportunity in the fraud triangle concept. There is limited empirical research conducted on examining the whistleblowing system to fraud intention and the interaction of Machiavellian personality and whistleblowing system to fraud intention.

Studies highlighting negative behavioral influences of Machiavellians are plentiful; however, those prescribing their management are scarce. Machiavellians are intelligent, adaptable and resourceful people with negative, self-serving and unethical persona traits. Their abundance in organizations poses a challenge for managers in minimizing negative consequences of Machiavellian's manipulative behaviors and tap into their true potential. Leadership can play a crucial role in this regard. This purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effects of transformational leadership (TFL) versus transactional leadership (TSL) styles on the relationship between subordinates' Machiavellianism and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). The aim was to highlight the style that better adept in managing high-Mach subordinates.

This cross-sectional study used multiple surveys administered to 90 managers and their 269 subordinates from 56 organizations. Multiple regression was used for testing and hypothesize linear and supplementary nonlinear relationships between the study variables.

After a detailed data analysis, authors posit that, as compared to TFL, the TSL style is better suited for managing Machiavellian subordinates.

By employing transactional tactics, leaders can reign in the divergent behavior of Machiavellians, thus, transforming them into useful organizational assets.

This study expands on limited body of knowledge on managing Machiavellians. It advocates using TSL for improving the OCB of Machiavellians while countering their CWBs. Furthermore, this study contributes to transactional/transformational theories as it lends credence to the situational theory of leadership.

The purpose of this paper is to adapt research conducted on subclinical psychopaths and Machiavellians to conceptualise false agents in transaction cost economics (TCE). Both opportunism and information asymmetry provide a means to manipulate contractual relationships, pursuing existing loopholes for self-interest, while uncertainty and small-numbers bargaining allow false agents to exploit existing agreements during periods of rapid change, growth, and development. Considering differences in contract length preference may inform our understanding of subclinical psychopaths and Machiavellians. Contextually, the rise of “quasi-governmental” hybrid organisations may produce an ideal prospect for “natural born” opportunists to reap self-interested benefits through contractual loopholes.

This theoretical paper addresses social norms and blind trust in contractual relationships. In turn, blind trust may provide clues about the environmental conditions that facilitate manipulation by subclinical psychopaths and Machiavellians during negotiations of contract term length.

Williamson’s (1975) TCE framework provides a novel approach to subclinical psychopathic and Machiavellian behaviour by agents. Assumptions about behavioural norms may differ between the contracting party and the agent, leading to positive behavioural expectations of trust such as confidence, reciprocity, and history. The length of the contractual relationship may distinguish subclinical psychopaths from Machiavellians. The subclinical psychopath is more likely to behave opportunistically in short-term contracts, while Machiavellians more likely amass goodwill to behave opportunistically in long-term contracts. The role of uncertainty, small-numbers bargaining, information asymmetry, and opportunism is particularly relevant in quasi-governmental organisations when agents are “natural born” opportunists.

This theoretical paper adds to discussion of TCE related problems in organisations. “Natural born” opportunistic agents are more likely to take advantage of principals who extend trust as a goodwill gesture in a contractual relationship. Trust often represents a mental shortcut, based on “gut” reactions to save time, especially in dynamic environments. Hybrid organisations represent one such environment, in which contracting of goods and services renders comprehensive monitoring impracticable. Yet, scholarship adheres to legal mechanisms as safeguards against opportunism without acknowledging social norms that guide blind trust. Finally, contrasting motives between principals and false agents creates an inherent relationship asymmetry.

This study aims to explore personal and organizational factors in mitigating fraud intention through machiavellian personality, altruistic personality, religiousity, whistleblowing system, and accounting firm size. Companies will suffer greater losses if they cannot prevent fraudulent practices. The fraud hexagon theory is considered effective in detecting the possibility of fraud and the tendency of fraud motivated by personal and organizational factors. Therefore, the researchers examined several factors, including Machiavellian, altruism, religiosity, whistleblowing system and accounting firm size in mitigating fraud intention.

This study used a self-administered survey of accountants in Indonesia. The accountants were selected as the sample because the accounting profession has considerable potential in committing fraud. To avoid common method bias, the authors performed ex ante and ex post on the questionnaire. This research model was tested using structural equation modeling-partial least square.

The results revealed that personal factors in the form of Machiavellian, altruism and religiosity had a direct impact on decreasing fraud intention. In addition, whistleblowing system and accounting firm size were able to promote the effectiveness of fraud mitigation.

This study uses one profession, namely, accountants, so it requires further research to see the similarity of results in other professions.

The results contribute to managerial decision-making. Companies should include personal tests during employee recruitment because personal factors are the key to determining individual fraud behavior.

Combining personal factors and organizational factors can promote the success of the internal control system, so that individuals are encouraged to do ethical things.

This study combines personal and organizational factors in mitigating fraud, so as to know accurately which factors are most capable of mitigating fraud.

Two studies are designed to address the research questions including an experimental study and a field study. The experimental study manipulated Servant Leadership (SL vs. non-SL), leaders' Machiavellianism (H-Mach vs L-Mach), and leaders' gender (male vs. female), and measured leadership effectiveness. The second study is a survey study that collected data from employees regarding their interaction with supervisors and their perceptions of supervisors' leadership behaviors.

Leadership behaviors can correspond to or deviate from leaders' personality traits. This study aims to study the interplay of two seemingly opposite constructs in leadership – a power-pursuing and manipulation-oriented trait (i.e. Machiavellianism) and an other-oriented leadership style (i.e. servant leadership behaviors) by examining whether the effect of servant leadership behaviors on perceived leadership effectiveness varies across high and low levels of Machiavellian traits. Furthermore, built upon gender role congruency theory, the researchers pay particular attention to the (leader) gender's role in the paradox of Machiavellian traits and servant leadership behaviors.

Results from the two studies show that the relationship between servant leadership behaviors and followers' ratings of leaders' effectiveness varies with leaders' Machiavellian traits. More engagement in servant leadership behaviors serves as a remedy for high-Mach leaders to achieve leadership effectiveness, and this remedy effect tends to be greater for women leaders.

To the authors' best knowledge, this is one of the first attempts that examine the interplay of servant leadership behaviors and Machiavellianism on perceived leader effectiveness. The authors also contribute to the gender leadership literature by providing evidence for the contingencies of leaders' genders when employees evaluate leadership effectiveness with consideration for the dual demands for agency and communion from women leaders.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the impact of Machiavellian leadership and organisational cynicism on the emotional exhaustion of employees.

Survey data were collected from 463 employees of Slovenian municipalities. Surveys were used to collect Machiavellianism, organisational cynicism and emotional exhaustion data. Hypotheses were verified by means of three methods: the contingency table, χ² test and Pearson coefficient.

Machiavellian leadership has an impact both on the presence of emotional exhaustion and organisational cynicism. According to the results, both Machiavellianism and organisational cynicism have a direct linear impact on the increase of emotional exhaustion.

The findings of the research were formulated on the basis of a survey conducted according to a self-assessment online survey.

Even though the concept of Machiavellianism was developed 500 years ago, the existing literature suggests that it continues to be relevant in modern times, most frequently in terms of examining the way leaders establish their power and adopt (un)ethical leadership practices and the implications their behaviour has on their direct working environment. Only select authors have examined Machiavellianism in correlation with organisational cynicism and emotional exhaustion, with an emphasis on the public sector. Due to a lack of research conducted on the subject, the main research challenge was to establish actual correlations between the three factors above.

The purpose of this paper is to addresses the impact of organizational ethical context (ethical climate and ethical culture) and Machiavellianism on organizational‐professional conflict (OPC) and affective organizational commitment (OC) among Chinese accountants. The paper also aims to test for interactive effects of ethical context and Machiavellianism.

The paper is based on a field survey of 89 professional accountants employed by companies operating in Mainland China.

Two aspects of the organizational ethical culture, expectations of obedience to authority and strong ethical norms/incentives, emerged as the dominant influences on both OPC and affective commitment. Strong negative correlations are observed between OPC and OC, and between Machiavellianism and OC. Contrary to expectations, the organizational ethical context had the greatest impact on OC among high Machiavellians. For low Machiavellians, OPC fully mediated the relationship between ethical context and OC, but no such mediation effects are found for high Machiavellians.

This is the first study of the relationships among ethical context, OPC and OC among industry accountants in China, and the first study of the effects of Machiavellianism on these relationships. The results generally support our contention that organizational ethical context will be a key determinant of OPC and OC. The fact that weaker ethical cultures were strongly associated with increased conflict and decreased commitment suggests that managers of accounting/auditing departments should take a proactive approach to developing and nurturing positive or supportive cultures. The differences in results for high and low Machiavellians also raise interesting questions that should be addressed in future research.

The purpose of this paper is to undertake a Machiavellian analysis of the determinants of organisational change. It aims to present a model of how power, leaders and teams, rewards and discipline, and roles, norms and values, serve as drivers, enablers or inhibitors of organisational change.

The paper adopts the sixteenth century Machiavellian text The Prince as a lens through which to examine organisational change.

The paper concludes that Machiavellian thinking provides a valuable guide to the challenges and obstacles in negotiating organisational change and identifies the individual as occupying the central role in determining whether the change intervention will be accepted or rejected.

The longevity of Machiavellian thinking underlines the constancy of human behaviour and the relevance of age‐old thinking in understanding and negotiating change in a complex fast‐paced business environment.