Describe the personality characteristics of Machiavellianism.
Answer: The personality characteristic of Machiavellianism is named after Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote in the sixteenth century on how to gain and use power. An individual high in Machiavellianism is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes ends can justify means. A considerable amount of research has related high- and low-Mach personalities to behavioral outcomes. High Machs manipulate more, win more, are persuaded less, and persuade others more than do low Machs. Yet high-Mach outcomes are moderated by situational factors. High Machs flourish (1) when they interact face-to-face with others rather than indirectly; (2) when the situation has a minimal number of rules and regulations, allowing latitude for improvisation; and (3) when emotional involvement with details irrelevant to winning distracts low Machs. Thus, whether high Machs make good employees depends on the type of job. In jobs that require bargaining skills or that offer substantial rewards for winning, high Machs will be productive.