ABSTRACT

The behaviour of certain prominent executives around and before the financial crash of 2008, and probably that of others from our own experience, indicates that there exist seriously dysfunctional personalities which cannot be readily associated with a single Big Five dimension. Robert and Joyce Hogan, having adapted and re-labelled these disorders as potential 'Career Derailment Factors', launched a personality instrument, The Hogan Development Survey (HDS), to measure them. This is sometimes referred to as a measure of the 'dark side' of personality because its content explores the space beyond the extremes of normal range of personalities. Attempts have been made to explore the relationships between the clinical personality disorders and the Big Five dimensions. Whilst the personality factors which underpin it may have benefited the organisation in the past, once the dysfunctional facet of the style becomes a habit it will invariably undermine future performance of the department, section or even the business as a whole.