#Business

A newly published meta-analysis involving over half a million participants has shed disturbing new light on how Machiavellian leaders affect their workplaces. Contrary to the popular belief that such cunning, manipulative leadership either guarantees success or spells disaster, this massive international study, appearing in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, finds much more complex and nuanced realities. While Machiavellian leaders consistently create harmful environments for their followers, their own professional fate depends heavily on context rather than clear-cut penalties or rewards psypost.org.

A fresh wave of psychological research is offering valuable insights into why high-profile figures such as former US president Donald Trump—and other leaders with pronounced narcissistic traits—react so defensively, or even aggressively, when confronted with evidence of their own mistakes. Drawing on interviews, recent peer-reviewed studies, and organizational psychology, experts say these reactions are not just personality quirks, but reflect deeper dynamics in workplaces and governments worldwide—raising profound questions about power, accountability, and the future of leadership, including in Thailand’s evolving corporate, political, and academic environments.

Imagine paying for a concert ticket, then waking up on the day of the event feeling sick as a tropical downpour soaks the city. Logic suggests you should stay home—your health is at risk, and the rain will make everything miserable. Yet, you force yourself to go, reasoning that if you don’t, your 2,000 baht ticket will be wasted. This everyday scenario, familiar to many Thais balancing spending and social obligations, illustrates the psychological trap known as the “sunk cost fallacy.” It is a common bias that leads people to continue investing time, money, or effort into a decision even when doing so no longer serves their best interest, all because they want to justify past, irretrievable investments. In a society where respect for personal sacrifice and resourcefulness is highly valued, understanding this phenomenon carries deep significance for both individual Thais and the nation as a whole.