Office 'Kindness' May Be a Machiavellian Tactic, Study Suggests

Seemingly kind-hearted workplace behavior, such as bringing in cakes or doing favors, may not always be genuine acts of generosity, according to research. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology suggests that such thoughtfulness, particularly common among women, could be a form of "competitive altruism"—a Machiavellian tactic to manipulate colleagues and enhance one's own status and reputation.

Academics from Canada and Chile developed a test to explore this phenomenon. Their findings indicated that many women have encountered colleagues who use generous acts as a strategic tool. The researchers identified five types of such tactics. The most prevalent, experienced by 33 percent of study participants, involved using food, gifts, or treats to foster goodwill. Another quarter of women observed "performed warmth," where a colleague's public friendliness was seen as an act rather than genuine emotion. Fifteen percent reported seeing warmth directed particularly at men, and some participants witnessed individuals offering assistance to superiors for personal gain.

Additionally, one tactic was linked to female rivalry, where kindness was employed selectively to build relationships with certain women but not others. The study also found that women who scored highly on measures of competitive altruism rated themselves as more manipulative, deceptive, and less honest than their peers. The researchers concluded that these higher scores correlated with "Machiavellianism and low agreeableness rather than warmth."

The study proposes that displays of kindness and generosity can serve as an "advertisement of one's qualities." This "low-risk competitive tactic" allows individuals to secure allies and a reputation advantage while maintaining plausible deniability, echoing the expression "kill them with kindness."