Effective altruism and the dark side of entrepreneurship

Abstract

PurposeEffective Altruism (EA) has become one of the most prominent socio-philosophical movements of recent years. EA is also facing intense scrutiny due to the business practices of some of its most prominent adherents. On the other hand, the dark triad traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy have been getting increasing attention in entrepreneurship research. There is growing evidence that these traits can motivate entrepreneurial intention. We therefore sought to investigate if there was a connection between the entrepreneurship discourse in EA and traits corresponding to dark triad behavior.Design/methodology/approachUsing a discursive analytic method, we investigated the discursive threads on entrepreneurship in EA over a 10-year period.FindingsWhile we believe EA brings a much-needed perspective to the overall debate on doing good, we found ample evidence that it might have promoted the sort of dark triad behavior which some evidence suggests can lead to financial success, but can equally lead to the type of morally bankrupt, unethical and even illegal practices of some entrepreneurs. We also discovered a somewhat temporal dimension in EA’s discourse on entrepreneurship, beginning with discourse encouraging some risk taking and entrepreneurship, before moving on to discourses on the benefits of having a smart and illicit character, and ending with a focus on aggressive risk taking.OriginalityThe findings contribute to the still nascent debate on dark personality traits in entrepreneurship, and enriches the theoretical advancement of the field. However, our research differs from prior studies which were almost exclusively focused on the firm. Instead, we examine this phenomenon within a highly influential belief system/philosophical movement.

Fuzzy Methods in Entrepreneurship Research

“…Moreover, while several studies were found using fuzzy methods to investigate the psychological traits of entrepreneurs (Brenes et al, 2021;Jiang et al, 2021;Palmer et al, 2019), no studies were found on the emerging topic of the dark triad traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy in entrepreneurship. A growing body of research suggests that entrepreneurs can be motivated by darker intentions (Brownell et al, 2021;McLarty et al, 2021;Olumekor et al, 2023). The additional context provided by fuzzy-set theory could further advance knowledge on these topics.…”

“…Entrepreneurship has also been criticised for placing excessive emphasis on financial growth at the expense of sociocultural harmony and the natural ecosystem (Scheyvens et al, 2017), and for elevating people with dark character traits (Olumekor et al, 2023). Nonetheless, academic research on many areas of entrepreneurship continues to increase.…”