Anglia Ruskin University:

New research suggests the same personality traits associated with toxic corporate leaders today may have been present at the very birth of global capitalism 400 years ago.

The study, published in the Asian Journal of Business Ethics identifies Jeronimus Cornelisz, who was a merchant manager with the Dutch East India Company, as likely being the earliest documented example of a corporate psychopath.

The research, by Dr Clive Boddy of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), is believed to be the first to systematically assess Cornelisz’s behaviour using a recognised corporate psychopathy framework rather than relying solely on historical interpretation. The study found that he displayed all 10 of the core characteristics associated with corporate psychopaths.

These include the use of charm to gain trust; surrounding themselves with loyal supporters; removing potential challengers; creating divisions among rivals; establishing a climate of fear; avoiding responsibility when things go wrong; and pursuing power, money and control above all else.

The Dutch East India Company was the world’s first multinational shareholder-owned company, and they founded what became one of the world’s first stock exchanges in Amsterdam in 1602.

According to the study, Cornelisz’s case suggests that individuals motivated by power, wealth and personal advancement were attracted to commercial enterprises from the earliest days of capitalist business. [Continue reading…]