A merchant who oversaw the killings of around 100 men, women and children after a shipwreck 400 years ago may have been the world’s first corporate psychopath, scientists say.
New research indicates that Jeronimus Cornelisz, an official in the Dutch East India Company, exhibited traits now associated with psychopathic corporate leaders.
Cornelisz was aboard the Batavia when the ship hit reefs off the coast of Western Australia and sank in 1629.
Around 200 survivors were stranded across a remote island group. Roughly half were later murdered in a violent mutiny organised by Cornelisz, who took control in the aftermath of the disaster.
Scientists have now examined Cornelisz’s actions through the lens of a modern framework for assessing psychopathy in corporate management.
Their analysis concluded that the merchant displayed all ten core characteristics linked to toxic business leaders.
‘What makes this case remarkable is that when we analysed Cornelisz using a modern management psychopathy framework, he displayed every major characteristic associated with corporate psychopaths,’ Dr Clive Boddy, associate professor of management at Anglia Ruskin University said.
‘The same playbook we see in toxic workplaces today appears in this case from 1629. He removed opponents, rewarded loyalists, created fear, manipulated followers and pursued power at any cost.’
Around 200 survivors were stranded across a remote island group, but about half were later murdered during a bloody mutiny orchestrated by Cornelisz. Pictured: A sketch depicting the aftermath
Scientists say Cornelisz displayed all ten core traits associated with toxic corporate leaders. Pictured: A man portrays Cornelisz in a production of the Australian ballet Batavia
According to the researchers, corporate psychopaths commonly use charm and manipulation to gain influence, build alliances with loyal supporters and push potential rivals aside.
They may also foster an atmosphere of fear, shift blame for failure and pursue power or personal benefit regardless of the consequences.
After the shipwreck, Cornelisz became the highest-ranking corporate official among the survivors.
Dr Boddy writes that he rapidly strengthened his position by replacing council members with loyal followers, demanding personal pledges of allegiance and cutting off those he viewed as possible opponents.
Under Cornelisz’s rule, about 100 men, women and children were killed, while some women were subjected to sexual violence.
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Cornelisz claimed the killings were necessary to preserve limited food and water supplies. However, the murders also eliminated people he regarded as threats to his authority.
Cornelisz was aboard the Batavia when it struck reefs off Western Australia and sank in 1629 (artist’s impression)
A separate group of survivors whom Cornelisz had left on another island came under the leadership of Wiebbe Hayes.
Hayes organised systematic searches for fresh water and food. The group discovered two freshwater wells, seabird eggs, and abundant fish, wallabies and seals that could be used as sources of meat.
‘Perhaps the most striking finding is that another leader facing the same circumstances achieved completely different outcomes,’ Dr Boddy explained.
‘Wiebbe Hayes built cooperation, discovered new resources and kept people alive.
‘This was effectively a natural experiment in leadership. One group prospered while the other descended into murder and abuse.’
The Dutch East India Company is widely regarded as the world’s first multinational corporation and helped establish one of the earliest stock exchanges in Amsterdam in 1602.
According to the researchers, the case of Jeronimus Cornelisz suggests that people driven by ambition, wealth and personal power were being drawn to major commercial ventures from the very beginnings of modern capitalism.
The researchers concluded: ‘Corporate psychopaths are found to exhibit a common modus operandi involving the establishment of control, a cowed workforce, and the formation of a climate of fear, marked by abuse, bullying and yelling.
‘Cornelisz exhibited all of these in extremity.
‘Cornelisz also utilised the tactics and strategies that are still used by corporate psychopaths, including presenting a grandiose image, replacing boards of directors with personal appointees, using divide and conquer techniques to divide and confuse potential opposition and using fear and dark humour as a means of control.’
The study argues that corporate psychopaths continue to pose a significant challenge for modern organisations, linking psychopathic leadership to workplace bullying, harassment, reduced employee wellbeing, higher staff turnover and organisational failure.
The team said their findings, published in the Asian Journal of Business Ethics, reinforce calls for employers to place greater emphasis on character, ethics and values when selecting senior leaders.