I don't think it's a matter of people rewarding the pricks for being pricks. I think that there are certain boundaries that "pricks" are willing to cross that "

I don't think it's a matter of people rewarding the pricks for being pricks. I think that there are certain boundaries that "pricks" are willing to cross that "nice guys" are not willing to cross. Crossing the boundaries may not be nice, or ethical, or popular, but it could make the difference between leading an organisation full of talented people, or rewarding programmers in the team that actually /sap the productivity of others/ and letting them do that, simply because you don't want to be a prick to them.