Towards higher methodological fit in Dark Triad research: Introducing and testing the Dark Triad Core (DTC) model in the work context

In recent years, research interest in the Dark Triad –i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy– has grown exponentially. In Industrial and Organizational psychology in particular, the relevance of the Dark Triad has been shown by substantial associations with important work outcomes (e.g., job performance) and leadership criteria. Yet, while it is clear that the three traits share a 'common core', it is less clear how much of the Dark Triad’s variance is shared, and how much of its variance is uniquely attributable to each of the Dark Triad traits. As a direct consequence, existing evidence regarding their validity for predicting important work- and leadership outcomes suffers from the same limitation. By carefully separating shared and unique variability, the Dark Triad Core (DTC) model will provide new and much-needed insights into the meaning of Dark Triad. Moreover, the DTC model will be tested in different work contexts (including the leadership context). Finally, by examining the developmental trajectories of the DTC model in the work context, we move from a static perspective on the Dark Triad to a much-needed dynamic one