UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING THROUGH DARK TRIAD TRAITS, ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between Dark Triad personality traits narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy organizational justice, psychological distance, and employee well-being in the private banking sector of Pakistan. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, the study proposes that socially aversive personality traits are associated with lower employee well-being and reduced perceptions of organizational justice, while organizational justice and psychological distance play important roles in employees’ workplace experiences. Data were collected through online and paper-based questionnaires from 876 employees working in private banks across different districts of Punjab, Pakistan. The proposed relationships were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings supported all eight hypotheses. Narcissism (β = −0.282), Machiavellianism (β = −0.314), and psychopathy (β = −0.286) were significantly and negatively associated with employee well-being. Similarly, narcissism (β = −0.333), Machiavellianism (β = −0.342), and psychopathy (β = −0.316) were negatively associated with organizational justice. Organizational justice showed a strong negative association with psychological distance (β = −0.781), while psychological distance was negatively associated with employee well-being (β = −0.192). The findings extend research on Dark Triad personalities by integrating organizational justice, psychological distance, and employee well-being within a collectivist and hierarchical work context. Practically, the study highlights the importance of fair organizational practices, ethical leadership, transparent human resource policies, and initiatives aimed at strengthening employee–organization relationships and reducing psychological distance to promote employee well-being.