STFU and follow: Trait activation of dark triad responses to leader profanity across 19 countries

While workplace profanity is typically considered inappropriate, research indicates mixed effects on perceived trustworthiness, intelligence, authenticity, and informality. Using trait activation theory, we examined how leader profanity influences supervisor satisfaction among 5660 employees across 19 countries, considering follower Dark Triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) and country-level income inequality. Leader profanity interacted significantly with each Dark Triad trait. In low-inequality countries, highly Machiavellian and psychopathic followers responded positively to leader profanity, while narcissistic followers showed minimal effects. In high-inequality countries, leader profanity decreased satisfaction regardless of follower personality, suggesting strong situational norms override individual differences. These findings demonstrate that personality traits require specific situational conditions for expression, with societal context establishing boundary conditions for trait activation.