Dark personality traits in project management : A bibliometric analysis and agenda for future research

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Ojiako, Udechukwu and Higgs, Malcolm and Mohamed Al Naqbi, Khalid Khalfan and Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S. and Chipulu, Maxwell and Williams, Terry and Adedeji, Taiwo (2026) Dark personality traits in project management : A bibliometric analysis and agenda for future research. Project Leadership and Society, 7. 100214. ISSN 2666-7215 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2026.100214)

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Abstract

For the past thirty-five years, project management research has been largely dominated by studies emphasizing the prosocial, and therefore positive, traits of project managers and their influence on project outcomes. Alongside this tradition, however, a growing body of work has begun to examine alternative traits, specifically project manager dark personality (PMDP) traits, which are frequently described as ‘dark’. These traits are generally characterized as aversive, deviant, or malevolent. Despite increasing scholarly interest, the intellectual structure of research on PMDP traits remains underexplored. To address this gap, the present study undertakes a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of PMDP literature published between 1989 and 2024, with the aim of uncovering the thematic focus and publication patterns within this field. Our analysis reveals seven recurring project-focused themes: ‘Corruption, unethical, and negative behaviours’; ‘Impact of dark traits’; ‘Causes and effects of biases’; ‘Dark leadership and well-being’; ‘Causes of selective reporting’; ‘Authoritarian leadership and toxicity’; and ‘PM traits and outcomes’. The study makes two key contributions: first, it provides a pioneering primer on PMDP traits and traces their developmental trajectory; second, it highlights emerging themes and trends that merit further investigation.

ORCID iDs

Ojiako, Udechukwu ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0506-2115, Higgs, Malcolm, Mohamed Al Naqbi, Khalid Khalfan, Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S., Chipulu, Maxwell, Williams, Terry and Adedeji, Taiwo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7488-0707;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)