For purposes of discussion I offer a link to a scholarly paper on workplace psychopathy and quote a few snippets of it. I don't know if its relevent or not. Clearly most CASA staff are ordinary hard working people, but could it be said that CASA
as an organisation, not as a collection of individuals, (my bolding) exhibiits some psycopathic/sociopathic traits?
..........The prevalence of personality disorders means that they will occur in the workplace, regardless of size and type. Organizational culture is at once a factor in the expression of symptoms and a product of those symptoms. Organizational dysfunction is driven by individuals, informal and formal groups and divisions, and by leaders and leadership groups that contain a mix of these disorders in interaction with each other..............
....We offer this discussion to raise awareness about the likelihood of encountering pathological behaviors in organizations and the need for outside consultation when they are encountered. In addition, we want to recognize that organizational problems cannot necessarily be blamed on one individual, and that resolution of problems involves addressing the culture that perpetuates the pathology...............
.............Psychopaths travel “incognito,” and may often be the preferred candidate in the interviewing process. They are often charming and appear to be attractive job candidates. Psychopaths are at their best at the one-on-one level. Their pathology becomes much more evident at the group level.
Entry into the workplace is may be predicated upon the existing organizational culture. “Unspoken messages and symbolic gestures may communicate powerful messages that can be misinterpreted by individuals with unhealthy needs and motivations” (Pech & Slade, 2007). Psychopaths will choose environments that not only allow their misbehavior, but propel them to positions of leadership. Such a culture is composed of individuals in need of a leader, and already predisposed to participating in the leader-follower dynamics created by psychopathic leaders.
As psychopaths move into the organization they begin to exhibit red flag behaviors such as a high level of competitiveness that interferes with team work, secretiveness and manipulation of information, deceitfulness, erratic behavior, and bullying and intimidation.............
............Psychopaths cause direct and indirect damage in organizations, first to individuals and then to the culture. So why are psychopaths continuing their ascent into managerial and leadership positions? The answer is not a simple one and is context and culture bound. One answer could be that psychopaths often exhibit traits that are desirable such as intelligence, friendliness, and charismatic charm. While they present a façade of capability, they are undermining everyone around them in order to get ahead. Some suggest that psychopaths have traits that might be seen as good management material such as the ability to inflict a lot of pain without distress, and a high tolerance for risk.
The answer could be “cultural reinforcement and structural complexity” (Giblin, 1981; Kets de Vries & Miller, 1984; Pech & Slade, 2007). Organizational culture and perhaps more to the point organizational hierarchy creates a pathway for individuals who seek power and glory. Some organizations promote ruthless competition and achievement, while some promote consistent failure to perform. Highly competitive workplace cultures combined with hierarchy creates a stimulating context for psychopaths to reach their full potential. “Psychopaths tend to rise quickly in organizations because of their manipulative charisma and their sheer, single minded dedication to attain senior levels of management” (Boddy et al., 2010).
Successful “corporate psychopaths” elude notice until they reach a position of authority within an organization (Boddy et. al., 2010). The Boddy paper indicates that individuals with more work experience who are at higher levels of the organization are more likely to have encountered psychopaths, indicating that they do indeed move into the upper levels. This finding is confirmed in Snakes in Suits, and the authors note that psychopaths may well focus on acquiring roles with power, authority and control where they may at least for a period of time demonstrate a self serving ruthlessness that is feared and admired...................
..........As psychopaths move into leadership, they become “selective recruiters.” They engineer the organizational culture through “selective retention” where those who build the desired culture are retained, while those who disagree leave. Snakes in Suits and Without Conscience present psychopaths as solo performers who will destroy anyone who gets in their way. However it is also reasonable that they may develop loyal followers and a cadre of henchmen. So it could be that psychopaths recruit other psychopaths, and simultaneously follower types that complement their pathology, depending on the context.
Whether one takes the stance that organizational psychopaths are unleashed by existing culture, or that psychopaths insert themselves and then alter organizational cultures to support pathology, it is reasonable that “what leadership has created now either blindly perpetuates itself or creates new definitions of leadership…” (Schein, 1985).................
...........People in organizations carry with them a variety of issues and concerns from outside of the organization that color their actions and interactions. They may be addicted, mentally ill, suffering from domestic abuse, having marital and financial problems, or suffering from any number of other stressors that shape their behavior. When individuals enter a group they may naturally find a position within that group that recreates their family environment – current or past – and reinforces their learned behaviors and defenses. It may even exacerbate them. Since pathologies are really patterned by relationships and environments, psychoanalytic observations are likely more accurate than a questionnaire administered during the hiring process, and can offer in-depth explanations about the dynamics of psychopathy in the workplace.
In some cases, unhealthy individuals entering an organization, especially in a leadership position, can significantly alter the development of the organization. Given these considerations, one must move beyond a purely cognitive approach to address these issues and the clinical paradigm has much to offer. A psychodynamic approach considers the disposition of the leader and the leader-follower dynamic. There is a focus on understanding the unconscious emotional and psychological dynamics that are barriers to organizational effectiveness and creating interventions that reduce the negative impact of individual pathologies.
Workplace Predation: A Discussion « Center for the Study of Organizational Change