Abstract

This cross-sectional study surveyed 751 full-time undergraduate students at member universities of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City to examine the relationship between Machiavellianism, a Dark Triad trait, and proactive career behavior, as well as the moderating role of perceived social support. The findings indicated that Machiavellianism was negatively associated with and negatively predicted proactive career behavior, whereas perceived social support was positively associated with this behavior. However, perceived social support did not moderate the relationship between Machiavellianism and proactive career behavior. These findings are discussed through the lens of Trait Activation Theory, contributing empirical evidence regarding the roles of personality traits and contextual factors in the proactive career behavior of Vietnamese university students.

Keywords: Dark Triad, Machiavellianism, perceived social support, proactive career behavior, university students.