Psychological Safety and Work Design as Mediators of Supervisors’ Dark Triad Traits Impact on Nurses’ Task Performance

Abstract

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ObjectivesThis study investigates how nurse supervisors’ Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy) influence nurses’ task performance, mediated by perceptions of enriched work design (autonomy, task variety, social support, safe work conditions, feedback quality) and psychological safety.MethodsA multisource approach was used to collect data from 256 manager-nurse dyads across various healthcare settings. Nurses completed surveys assessing their work design and psychological safety. Managers completed a self-assessment of Dark Triad traits and rated their nurse subordinates’ task performance. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used for analysis.ResultsSupervisors’ Dark Triad traits core component impacted nurses’ task performance indirectly, mediated by psychological safety and nurses’ perceptions of their enriched work design. Psychopathic traits revealed a significant direct negative effect on nurses’ performance, while other Dark Triad traits did not show direct effects.ConclusionThis study sheds light on key factors influencing nurses’ performance, offering insights for healthcare organizations aiming to optimize work environments and improve team effectiveness.

Keywords

• psychological safety
• dark triad traits
• task performance
• enriched work design
• nurses work environment