You are correct in that transparency is to those people like light is to vampires. If you (or anyone else) is interested in the academic treatment of these 'games' (that is what they are called), read Eric Berne's short book "Games People Play". In the book it is explained how what you called "transparency" can be achieved by giving the player the "antithesis" to his game.
Can you recommend further academic publications or research on this type of toxic behaviour in the workplace? What is the term for these people? Some of them are psychopaths but that seems a bit extreme for this range of behavioural traits.
