Machiavellianism and leadership

Studied the relevance of Machiavellianism as a personality style for leadership in the context of experimental task groups; Ss were 84 male undergraduates. The experimental design preselected (using Machiavellian scales) 14 high Machiavellians (Machs) and 14 low Machs and assigned them as leaders of task groups who constructed toy cube bridges under either a favorable or an unfavorable situation. In the favorable situation, the leader was presented to the group as technically qualified, and his authority was emphasized (high leader power). Task performance was evaluated according to a single criterion (structured task). In the unfavorable situation, the leader's qualities or special status were not emphasized (low power), and task performance was evaluated according to multiple criteria (unstructured task). No performance differences were found between high and low Mach led groups. Significant differences were observed in group interactions. High Mach leaders gave more orders and were less involved in reducing tension. They were also less directive and requested more assistance when the situation was unfavorable, whereas the low Machs' behavior across situations remained unchanged. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).