This research aims to assess the level of manipulation of leaders and Machiavellian manifestations in the work process within selected socio-demographic characteristics of employees. Based on the described theoretical basis, three hypotheses were established. The hypotheses concern is examining the differences between manipulation and Machiavellian manifestations regarding employees' residence (urban or rural), the sphere of the organization (private or public) in which they work, and the age of employees. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey in which 123 respondents participated. The study involved methodological tools such as CASADI (Calculativness, Self-Assertion, Diplomacy) and MPS (Machiavellian Personality Scale). The new CASADI methodology identifies Machiavellian manifestations in business and managerial behavior. It contains statements that relate to the respondent's opinion on manipulation between people. The MPS methodology was created for leaders in determining the level of their manipulation through four factors determining Machiavellianism. The survey results were evaluated through a t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The findings confirmed the differences in Self-Assertion, Desire for Control, and Distrust regarding respondents' residence. The study of age differences recorded the statistical significance for the attribute of Diplomacy within Machiavellian manifestations and the attribute of Desire for social status within the manipulation of leaders. Within the differences between the private and public spheres, statistical significance was recorded for the attributes of Machiavellian manifestations of Computation and Self-Enforcement, and for the attributes of the manipulation of leaders Amorality, Desire for Control and Distrust of others. The research results indicated that employees living in the city might have a higher degree of Machiavellianism. It is reflected in their motivation for for-profit and the need to control others and not trust them. Research suggested that the rate of Machiavellianism decreases with age. In the case of the organization activity where the employee works, it was found that Machiavellian tendencies were more pronounced in employees of the private sphere.

The paper highlights the scientific debate on the Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) issue. NLP is a collection of approaches, communication tools, techniques, and perspectives that determine how individuals think and communicate through language. NLP is used to recognize and modify patterns of human behavior. The sensory representational system, or the method for recognizing representational systems, which is made up of five main senses, influences this process. Systematization literary sources and approaches to this issue indicate that three sensory representational systems exist in the NLP approach: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK), and that the individual’s preferred representational sensory system could explain manifested behavior and characteristics in the managerial and marketing sphere. The central purpose of the research and the significance of choice made about this area of interest is to determine each individual’s preferred representational sensory system (VAK) utilizing the original PRSS-VAK methodology. The methodological research tool was the PRSS-VAK methodology which contains nine statements, which are assessed on a scale from 1 (the least describes me) to 4 (the most describes me). The PRSS-VAK methodology would help to comprehend patterns of an individual’s behavior and allied cognitive or emotional processes. EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis) with Varimax rotation was used to verify the methodology on a sample of 214 respondents from the Slovak Republic, and CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) was used to validate the structure on a sample of 268 respondents from the Slovak Republic. This research empirically and theoretically confirms that one of the preferred representational sensory systems may be dominant. However, this may change regarding the current situation (stimulus, impulse). The research results could be beneficial as a springboard not only for researchers concerning this issue. It also indicates that quantitative research does not determine exactly to which category (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) a certain individual belongs. Using the identification of a preferred representational sensory system could help to facilitate both management and marketing communications.

Keywords: Personality Characteristics, Businessmen, Work with CustomerPeople have been the most valuable resource of organizations but this view is often ignored. However, organizations are beginning to realize that their future depends on people and not on the size of buildings, equipment and land. Intellectual capital of organizations is covered

Manipulation occurs quite often in the work of a trader and is related to personal and socio-demographic characteristics. The term ma­nipulation is included under the term Machiavellianism, which describes the abuse of other persons to achieve the manipulator’s own goals. The aim of the paper is to examine the differences in the manifestations of manipula­tion in traders in terms of their gender and education. The research sample consisted of 123 traders, of which 54 (44%) were men and 69 (56%) women. In terms of education, 47 (38%) respondents achieved secondary and voca­tional education and 76 respondents (62%) completed higher education. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey using two methodol­ogies. For the purposes of detecting Machiavellian manifestations, it was the CASADI methodology (Calculativeness, Self-Assertion, Diplomacy) and for the determination of Machiavellian personality the MPS methodology (Machiavellian Personality Scale). The results of both used methods con­firmed the expected differences. According to the CASADI methodology, from the point of view of gender, a statistically significant difference was found in the assessment of one of the attributes of Machiavellian mani­festations, namely the attribute Diplomacy, where women scored higher. In terms of education, a statistically significant difference was found in the Self-Assertion attribute, where traders with a university degree scored high­er. According to the MPS methodology, significant differences were recorded in the assessment of the attributes Amorality and Desire for status. In com­parison, men scored higher on these two indicators. The results of the anal­ysis in terms of education showed higher scores in all attributes for traders with a higher education. The obtained results are similar to the results of previous research and confirm the importance of socio-demographic char­acteristics in the manifestations of manipulative behavior.

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