Weekly Must Reads: Is Your Boss a Sadist?

The week’s top stories about workplace culture and behavior.

Feeling like your boss is out to get you isn't uncommon, and new research from the University of British Columbia just might confirm that hunch. The research reveals that psychopathic people are four times more concentrated in corporate senior executive roles than their existence overall.Â

Learn the signs at Quartz.

Workplace personality testing has grown into a $500 million business as more employers assess potential hires by testing personality, skills, cognitive abilities and other traits. But some experts question the practice's effectiveness and whether it introduces new forms of workplace discrimination into the hiring process.

Weigh the pros and cons at the Wall Street Journal.

A healthy, well-defined corporate culture is increasingly important to attract, hire and retain top talent. But unless your organization’s values and atmosphere are actively enforced, CIO argues, the company risks ending up with a culture that drives people away.

Read more at CIO.com.

New research confirms what most employees already know: People tend to fake a positive attitude when the boss is around. The Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology suggests employees are honest and expressive when meeting with peers, while they hide their real feelings in front of managers.

Read more about faking positivity at the Wall Street Journal.

Managers can be tempted to let their team run on autopilot while they tackle big-picture projects — but it will cost the company in the long run. Research from the University of British Columbia and Gallup shows that bosses who neglect their direct reports experience dangerously high levels of disengagement (40 percent) from their team. In fact, most employees would rather get negative feedback than none at all.

See the harmful impacts of ignoring your team at TLNT.com.

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