Research by Herman Tse from the Monash Business School indicates people who play a good Machiavellian game can win at work. “While it is usually thought that high Mach people manipulate and undermine others using cunning and duplicitous methods, … high Mach is more about reading the emotion of your boss and colleagues and adjusting yourself to fit into the environment without creating too many waves.

Instead of being envious and harmful, high Mach team members can be very calculative, calm and strategic in maximising their personal gains in unfavourable and stressful situations.”

So, when does Monash launch its M(achiavelli) of Business Administration?