Unmasking The Link Between Corporate Psychopath And Culture: A Qualitative Study In The Context Of Pakistani Organizations

Abstract

Corporate psychopathy has garnered increasing attention in organizational research due to its implications for leadership, workplace culture, and corporate performance. Corporate psychopaths leverage manipulative behaviors to achieve personal and professional success, often at the expense of organizational integrity and employee well-being. This paper synthesizes key theoretical perspectives on corporate psychopathy, examining its manifestations, underlying psychological mechanisms, and consequences for organizations. A key focus of this paper is the role of cultural influences, particularly in Pakistan, where hierarchical corporate structures, collectivist values, and weak regulatory frameworks may exacerbate the impact of corporate psychopathy. Utilizing a qualitative research approach through Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT), this paper integrates firsthand employee accounts to explore how corporate psychopaths exploit power structures, influence workplace ethics, and shape leadership behaviors in Pakistani organizations. The findings highlight the systemic vulnerabilities that enable corporate psychopaths, the cultural factors that shape their influence, and the broader organizational consequences of their leadership. Furthermore, this study introduces the Culturally Embedded Corporate Psychopathy (CECP) Theory, which explains how cultural and structural factors uniquely shape corporate psychopathy in high-power-distance environments.

Keywords: Corporate psychopaths, cultural influence, workplace culture, organizational dysfunction, grounded theory