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The Influence of Organizational Expectations on Ethical Decision Making Conflict
Abstract
This study considers the ethical decision making of individual employees and the influence their perception of organizational expectations has on employee feelings about the decision making process. A self-administered questionnaire design was used for gathering data in this study, with a sample size of 245 full-time employees. The match between the ethical alternative chosen by the respondent and that alternative perceived to be encouraged by his/her organization was found to be significantly related to both feelings of discomfort and feelings of intrapersonal role conflict. Implications for these findings are discussed.
... Once this ethical dissonance has discovered, likelihood of turnover rises (Coldwell et al., 2007;Sims & Kroeck, 1994;Gosling & Huang, 2010). The more the individual's personal decisions are seen to be in conflict with the ethical decisions that are perceived to be encouraged by the organization, the greater the experienced (and potentially expressed) discomfort within the individual (Sims & Keon, 2000). Should the contract between the individual and the organization not be terminated, the individual would encounter proactive, pro-social activities to facilitate ethical socialization. ...
... Should the contract between the individual and the organization not be terminated, the individual would encounter proactive, pro-social activities to facilitate ethical socialization. This process could uncover further dissonance (Sims & Keon, 2000), and upon each discovery both parties have the option to continue (or re-engage in) the constructive socialization process, or terminate the contract (Sims & Kroeck, 1994;Coldwell, et al., 2008;O'Donohue & Nelson, 2009). The individual must then decide how to respond to this interaction. ...
... Once this ethical dissonance is discovered, likelihood of turnover rises (Coldwell et al., 2007;Sims & Kroeck, 1994). Sims and Keon (2000) found a significant relationship between the ethical rift between one's personal decisions and the perceived unwritten/informal policies of the organization, and the individual's level of comfort within the organization. ...
A new predictive model is proposed that attempts to illustrate the person-organization (PO) exchange cycles that occur in each of four distinct ethical PO fit scenarios: high organizational ethics, high individual ethics; low organizational ethics, low individual ethics; high organizational ethics, low individual ethics; and low organizational ethics, high individual ethics. Previous models that examine ethical decision making in the organization are examined, and the new causal model is described. Recommendations for testing the validity of the model include a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Limitations of the model and recommendations for further study are also discussed. Considerations of person-organization fit may necessitate more than simple compatibility between a position and an individual's education, experience, and skills. If the organization's values and ethics are not compatible with the individual's ethics, the likelihood of the person remaining in that organization significantly decreases (Sims & Kroeck, 1994; Coldwell, Billsberry, Meurs, & Marsh, 2008). The need for ethical fit extends far beyond the previously established interpretation of the psychological contract, which was either primarily transactional or relational (O'Donohue & Nelson, 2009). Schneider (1987) contended that employees choose to place themselves into and out of work situations, and are therefore often responsible for their work environment, because it is the result of the choices that people are making. Further, Schneider (1987) proposed that when an employee senses a person-organization lack of ethical fit, the employee will choose to leave the organization. Coldwell, Billsberry, van Meurs, and Marsh (2008) developed an explanatory model of the effect of person-organization ethical fit upon the attraction and retention of employees. They explained, "Individual perceptions of ethical-organizational fit depend on individual's perceptions of their company's ethical orientation and CSR-derived corporate reputation" (p. 611). Variation in employee perception of ethical fit seems to initially stem from variation in levels of moral development (Kohlberg, 1981); however, variations can also increase or decrease with tenure, due to social influence within the organization (Brewer, 2007; Zyglidopoulos & Fleming, 2008; Coldwell et al. 2008; Ashford & Arand, 2003).
... Accordingly, we add to the literature by evaluating the possibility that overall Person-Organization (P-O) fit partially mediates the relationship between ethical culture and employee response. Although the relevance of perceived differences in ethicality between employees and their organizations has been demonstrated in relation to employee outcomes (e.g., Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Keon 1997;Sims and Keon 2000;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010), we are interested in the role of overall P-O fit . ...
... The importance attached to the degree of P-O fit is in line with various theoretical frameworks, including the theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger 1957) that, as applied to the work environment, states that in those situations in which an employee perceives a meaningful discrepancy between their norms and values and those of the company, dissonance perceived would be reflected in poor work attitudes (Koh and Boo 2001;Viswesvaran et al. 1998) and feelings (Bande-Vilela et al. 2008). Indeed, various measures of perceived differences in ethicality between employees and their organizations are positively related to feelings of discomfort, interpersonal role conflict (Sims and Keon 2000), and turnover intentions (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Keon 1997;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010), but negatively related to job satisfaction (Sims and Keon 1997) and organizational commitment (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010). On the other hand, a high degree of overall P-O fit has the potential to satisfy human needs, desires and preferences (Chatman 1989;Kristof 1996) generating positive subjective experiences (Bande-Vilela et al. 2008) and a willingness to recommend the organization to others (Cable and Judge 1996). ...
... This is in line with research suggesting that in positively affecting job outcomes, perceptions of organizational ethical values are more important than the perceived degree of P-O ethical fit (Finegan 2000;Herrbach and Mignonac 2007;Schminke et al. 2005). Thus, our findings are an important addition to research linking measures of the perceived differences in ethicality between employees and their organizations to feelings of discomfort, interpersonal role conflict (Sims and Keon 2000), and turnover intentions (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Keon 1997;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010), among other work outcomes. ...
We build on limited research concerning the mediation processes associated with the relationship between ethical culture and employee outcomes. A multidimensional measure of ethical culture was examined for its relationship to overall Person-Organization (P–O) fit and employee response, using a sample of 436 employees from social economy and commercial banks in Spain. In line with previous research involving unidimensional measures, ethical culture was found to relate positively to employee job satisfaction, affective commitment, and intention to stay. New to the literature, ethical culture was also found to be associated positively with employee willingness to recommend the organization to others. These effects were observed even when perceptions of P–O fit were controlled. Importantly, ethical culture was also positively related to overall P–O fit, which in turn, partially mediated the relationship between ethical culture and employee outcomes. Our findings add to studies that focus on the importance of the degree of ethical congruence between the individual employee and the organization. They suggest that ethical culture, with its expected impact on virtuousness and emotional well-being, will positively influence outcomes independently of the degree to which there is a match between employee and organizational values.
... Perceived importance may be affected by a code of ethics. Sims and Keon [33] found a relationship between the level of discomfort and conflict and a mismatch between an organization and their activity expectation and the internal ethics of a member of the organization. In other words, level of discomfort and conflict decreased when there was a match between what the organization expected in behavior and the individual's ethics. ...
... Researchers have found relationships between external forces and morality [14], [33]. Hypothesis five explores the power of a hostile work environment. ...
One of the most widely recognized code of ethics in infor-mation technology (IT) is the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Code of Ethics. Adopted in 1992, the code covers many of the key ethical areas that are encountered in information technology practice. But this code has been lightly studied in the literature, including its recognition and its acceptance. Likewise, its effectiveness in influencing moral intent has not previously been established. This manuscript reviews selected key state-ments from the ACM Code of Ethics to determine the level of agreement with these statements. The surveyed group includes IT students, faculty, and staff. In general, agreement on all issues is found, though varying in degree. Next, the study analyzes the re-lationship between ACM code agreement and ethical intent. The relationships in nearly all cases are positive and significant. Fi-nally, it examines the infiuence this code has among participants in a hypothetical hostile work situation. Specifically, it examines moral intent when a supervisor recommends an action directly contrary to the code. The difference between actions in a hostile situation versus no supervisor influence is found to be significant in some cases.
... Where the former is post hoc, the latter is a precursor to possible illegal actions. Clearly, the prevailing 'ethical climate' (Victor & Cullen, 1988) in an organization can be a source of tension and psychological discomfort in cases where the organization's institutionalised code of ethics and conduct clashes with professional and personal ethical standards (Boatright, 2003;Sims & Keon, 2000). Victor and Cullen (1988) extended Kohlberg's theory of moral development to organizations to describe types of ethical climates that exist when employees believe that certain forms of ethical reasoning or behaviour are expected standards or norms for decision-making within the organization. ...
... Sims and Kroeck (1994) studied the fit between personal beliefs and the perceived ethical climate of the organization, showing that a good match between the two was positively related to commitment. In a study that investigated intrapersonal role conflict as a consequence of a mismatch between an employee's own ethical beliefs and what the organization expectations were perceived to be in regard to ethical decision making, Sims and Keon (2000) illustrated the negative impact of incongruence between personal and organizational perspectives. There has been, however, little research examining incongruence using the concept of the psychological contract. ...
Social values and beliefs systems are playing an increasingly influential role in shaping the attitudes and behavior of individuals
and organizations towards the employment relationship. Many individuals seek a broader meaning in their work that will let
them feel that they are contributing to the broader community. For many organizations, a willingness to behave ethically and
assume responsibility for social and environmental consequences of their activities has become essential to maintaining their
‹license to operate.’ The appearance of these trends in individual and organizational behavior towards outcomes that are more
explicitly congruent with ethical and social values has significant implications for understanding the psychological contracts
being created today. In this paper, we examine issues associated with the psychological contract and ethical standards of
behavior, focusing on both the individual and organizational levels.
... (Un)ethical behavior can be promoted by organizational standardization and socialization (Martin & Cullen, 2006). Moreover, the organizational decision-making approach can facilitate to judge organizational climate or value system Martin and (Sims & Keon, 2006), while workers' performance and behavior can also be appraised through ethical standards. Furthermore, (Sims, 1992) argued that it purely depends on the organizational value system that what will be ethical or unethical for Operationalization, these acceptable standards inside the organization are to be indicated as counter norms. ...
The accounting research have moved towards the study of the "dark" personality disorder—Dark Triad, and its effect on dishonest and unethical behavior in the workplace environment. Fraudsters with dark personality characteristics such as psychopathic personalities are even greater trouble. Some fraudsters are psychopaths but not all. Psychopaths spend a great deal of time and effort constructing and maintaining a persona that helps them get ahead at work, that's why to be known as the dark horse. Many of the people who are psychopath are short time offenders who are just "doing their work," can hold impressions easily, and their victims are few. The study aims to examine the extent of information security psychopathy and its relationship to some beliefs regarding the unethical professional practice by using a sample of accounting professionals specifically "banking personnel". A formal adopted questionnaire is used to collect primary data for the analysis. A total of 357 participants volunteered to respond to the study. The results of the study validate the position that psychopathy at the workplace is the key precursor of banking fraud scandals. Empirical findings also come with the influence of psychopathy on the unethical behavior in the study area. Finally, the study concludes that the psychopathic personalities have a role to play in unethical behavior in professional practices in the context of the banking sector. While when psychopath goes to work place there is unethical practices therefore, information security does not have a role between psychopathy and unethical performance.
... When making a moral decision, organizational environment and the perceived expectation of supervisors also can significantly influence this process (Sims & Keon, 1999). Interestingly, people have stronger feelings of discomfort when their values are not conforming with informal policies, or experience a higher intrapersonal role-conflict, when they are disagreeing with informal policies or supervisor's expectations (Sims & Keon, 2000). Hence, social pressure seems to be strongly associated with decision-making as well (Sweeney & Costello, 2009). ...
... Entrepreneur's norms and ethical values are the fundamental elements in determining basic business setting. The connection of business roles and entity effected Malaysian society in general.The legal entity and ethical behaviorof an entrepreneur have been of interest and largely focus on large corporations while small-and medium sized enterprises (SME) have not received as much attention (Krohe, 1997;Sim and Keon, 2000;Trvino and Nelson, 1999). The conventional approached has resulted that the legal aspects as well as plain written guided ethical values that imposed to every entrepreneur have yet to be complied by some of the entrepreneur. ...
The study explores the effect of legal, norms and ethical values from Tawhidic paradigm on achieving harmonious SME entrepreneurship and Malaysian society. Entrepreneurship setting comprises three main criteria, namely, legal, norms and ethical values. Observing legal requirement in various aspects related to business, entrepreneurship and society is essential to maintain entrepreneurial legitimacy. Apart from complying the law, entrepreneurship develops its own norms in terms of written (code of ethics) and tacit self regulation (words of mouth). Tawhidic paradigm manifests internal control based on Islamic and Imanic spirituality. The combination of external and internal control with Islamic and Imanic spirituality contributes to the harmonious relationship between the SME entrepreneurship and Malaysian society. The study obtains views through personal interview with selected Malaysian SME entrepreneurs in Klang Valley. The preliminary results show that the engagement into legal, norms and ethical values is still at premature stage as the SMEs are struggling to survive. However, the modular SME entrepreneurship under the guidance of various SME agencies in Malaysia such as FAMA, SME Corporation, TEKUN, and TERAJU, entrepreneurs are aligned harmoniously between the business and the society. The future study should use more rigorous and comprehensive instruments and to get more informants for study.
... The combination of EL and POF was found to have a positive effect on work attitudes in general (Koh & Boo, 2001;Viswesvaran, Deshpande, & Joseph, 1998). Jointly, EL and POF will further improve employee commitment, ethical intent (Ruiz-Palomino & Martınez-Cañas, 2014) and engagement (Sims & Keon, 2000) and will reduce employees' intention to quit (Grobler, 2016;Grobler & Jansen van Rensburg, 2018;Sims & Keon, 1997). ...
Research suggests that ethical leadership (EL) affects employee behavior and organizational functioning. This study aimed to determine the relationship between EL and productive energy (PE), as mediated by person-organizational fit (POF). The study used assumptions of the social learning and social exchange theories that posit that leadership has a direct impact on employee behavior, mainly through role modeling and the reciprocal nature thereof. An empirical paradigm using a cross sectional quantitative design was used. The PE instrument (developed in the USA) was assessed for construct validity within the South African context (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis). The analysis included a comparison between the private and public sectors, emphasizing the importance of context as differentiator. Relatively high, statistically significant correlations were found between the variables for both sectors and the combined sample. The hierarchical regression analysis indicated that 18% of the variance in PE is explained by EL. This model was improved by the inclusion of POF (total variance of 32% explained). The conceptual model was confirmed with structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings of this study suggest that EL has a significantly positive effect on PE and POF, which mediates the relationship between EL and PE. Sectoral differences were reported.
... Ethical decision-making variable in this study was measured by compiling an ethical dilemma scenario approaching the actual job situation of an accountant. Usage scenarios for research ethics in order to describe the situation have actually been done by many researchers (Claypool, Fetyko and Pearson, 1990;Cohen, Pant and Sharp, 1996;Sims and Keon, 2000;Mumford et al., 2006). Scenarios will help to standardize the social stimulus of respondents and at the same time a larger picture in the cognitive process of ethical decision-making. ...
The purpose of this research is to examine how auditors’ moral character influences their ethical decision making when faced with an ethical dilemma situation. Organizational ethical climate and the intensity of competition in a public accounting firm are used as a moderating variable. The results of this study have implications as ethical decision quality can be obtained and carried through increased moral character. By identifying the potential drivers for improving auditors’ moral character, this research can inform the discussions and strategies of professional bodies, regulators and government on improving the audit quality of financial reports. The intensity of competition in a public accounting firm may have an impact on improving the quality of auditing services, but on the other hand, also have an impact on ethical issues. This research lays the foundation for competition among public accounting firms being recognized as a major issue in industrial policy in auditing services.
... Source: Our elaboration from Brown (1986) Organisational impact (functional and dysfunctional conflict). As outlined, conflict among employees may decrease creativity, productivity and performance (Alper et al., 2000;Sims and Keon, 2000;De Dreu and Weingart, 2003), driving the organisation towards dysfunctions and inefficiencies. It has also been observed, however, that the availability of different perspectives helps teams to offer better productivity as the knowledge of different employees is assimilated to perform the allocated tasks (Wlodarczyk, 2010;Simone, 2011). ...
... It appears that ethical values person-organization fit does affect employees, as misfit has been found to positively relate to feelings of discomfort, interpersonal role conflict (Sims and Keon 2000), and turnover intentions (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Keon 1997;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010), and negatively relate to job satisfaction (Sims and Keon 1997) and organizational commitment (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010). According to Kristof (1996), high person-organization fit results in employees forming an emotional connection to the workplace, similar to the bond demonstrated in employee work engagement (Kahn 1990). ...
This research seeks to better understand how an organization-related employee perception and job attitude may influence organizational members to ethically create customer value. Specifically, it is proposed that high person–organization fit perception, more precisely ethical values person–organization fit perception, can influence business-to-business salesperson commitment to providing superior customer value both directly and indirectly through trust in sales manager, while encouraging ethical salesforce behavior, an important aspect of communicating and delivering customer value. Results from a study of 408 business-to-business salespeople find that ethical values person–organization fit positively influences salesperson commitment to providing superior customer value, as well as trust in manager. Trust in manager directly affects commitment to customer value and mediates the relationship between ethical values person–organization fit and unethical intent. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided, as well as directions for future research.
... CSR can also serve to ease recruitment of qualified personnel (Greening & Turban, 2000) as well as promote employee innovation and success in the development of new products (Ahmad, O'Regan, & Ghobadian, 2003). Other benefits include a reduction in negative consequences, such as labor disputes (Hopkins, 2005) and feelings of discomfort or role conflict among workers (Sims & Keon, 2000). Moreover, studies indicate that employees prefer to be associated with organizations that stand for honesty, transparency, and accountability (Luce, Barber, & Hillman, 2001). ...
We explore the role of deeply held beliefs, known as social axioms, in the context of employee–organization relationships. Specifically, we examine how the beliefs identified as social cynicism and reward for application moderate the relationship between employees’ work-related experiences, perceptions of CSR, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward their firm. Utilizing a sample of 130 retail employees, we find that CSR affects more positively employees low on social cynicism and reduces distrust more so than with cynical employees. Employees exhibiting strong reward for application are less positively affected by CSR, whereas their experiences of other work-related factors are more likely to reduce distrust. Our findings suggest the need for a differentiated view of CSR in the context of employee studies and offer suggestions for future research and management practice.
... Bridging the gap between the requirements of the ethical code of conduct and the organization's social norms, if there is a gap (Sims and Keon 2000), may be achieved using formal and informal methods. However, personal methods also have an impact (and, potentially, a decisive impact) to the extent that the organization's attempt to bridge the gap is filtered and interpreted by organizational members. ...
What is the best process by which to implement ethical and compliance programs? That is, what
are the best means for achieving the aims of inhibiting the criminal conduct and supporting the
ethical conduct of organizational members? The US Federal Sentencing Guidelines (FSG) of
1991 required development of a compliance program in which the implementation process
consisted of formal methods and the desired outcome was to inhibit criminal conduct. Research
failed to support this approach. Furthermore, a clear failure of that approach is exemplified by the
occurrence of several business scandals. The worst of these was the uninhibited criminal
conduct of individuals in Andersen and Enron, notwithstanding the formal methods contained in
these companies’ ethical codes of conduct and ethical programs. These scandals caused
investors, amongst other stakeholders, significant monetary losses and eroded market
confidence. Restoring public trust, a necessary condition for a viable market, was a challenge
partly met by legislators and regulators through enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX
2002) and modification of the FSG (2004), the latter requiring the establishment of a culture
supportive of ethical conduct.
Given that events have demonstrated the limited utility of formal controls alone, it is necessary to
reconsider the assumptions upon which the process of implementing compliance and ethical
programs rests, in both theoretical and practical terms. (Clark and Leonard 1998) This paper aims
to contribute to this process. It examines the formal, informal and personal methods available for
establishing and implementing ethical and compliance programs. In particular, it considers what
type and mix of methods are most likely to yield an effective implementation process.
... Importantly, the applicability of the P-O fit construct also extends to contexts where fit has been defined more narrowly to refer to perceived differences in ethicality between employees and their organizations. For example, such differences are positively related to feelings of discomfort, interpersonal role conflict (Sims and Keon 2000), and turnover intentions (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Keon 1997;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010), but negatively related to job satisfaction (Sims and Keon 1997) and organizational commitment (Ambrose et al. 2008;Sims and Kroeck 1994;Thorne 2010). As noted earlier, there is also evidence that various types of value incongruence can impact ethical intent (Liedtka 1989;Elango et al. 2010). ...
A multidimensional measure of ethical culture (EC) was examined for its relationship to person–organization (P–O) fit, ethical intent and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), using a sample of 525 employees from the financial industry in Spain. As hypothesized, relative to studies using unidimensional assessments, our measure of EC was more strongly related to ethical intent and organizational citizenship. Also, significant differences were found in the degree to which each the EC dimensions related to both ethical intent and OCB. Finally, in a first for the literature, we demonstrated the important role of overall P–O fit in connection with EC, ethical intent, and organizational citizenship. Specifically, as hypothesized, P–O fit moderated positively the association between EC and ethical intent, but mediated the EC–OCB relationship.
... 497). On the other hand, an organisation can be a source of stress, if the organisation's code of ethics and conduct contradict with personal ethical values (Boatright 2003;Sims and Keon 2000). This discrepancy can lead to a perceived breach of the psychological contract, which may result in resigning from the organisation (O'Donohue and Nelson 2009). ...
The aims of this study were to investigate what kinds of personal work goals managers have and whether ethical organisational culture is related to these goals. The sample consisted of 811 Finnish managers from different organisations, in middle and upper management levels, aged 25–68 years. Eight work-related goal content categories were found based on the managers self-reported goals: (1) organisational goals (35.4 %), (2) competence goals (26.1 %), (3) well-being goals (12.1 %), (4) career-ending goals (7.3 %), (5) progression goals (6.8 %), (6) prestige/influence goals (4.2 %), (7) job change goals (4.2 %) and (8) employment contract goals (3.9 %). Ethical organisational culture operated as a context for personal goal setting: Those managers who evaluated their organisational culture as more ethical were more likely to report organisational goals (e.g. goals toward the success or performance of the organisation). However, if managers gave lower ratings regarding ethical culture, then they named job change and career-ending goals in more cases. Therefore, investing into ethical virtues of the organisational culture can promote managers’ personal work goals, which also benefit the organisation.
... Here, the concern is with the ethical environment created within an entrepreneurial firm, the mechanisms put in place by the entrepreneur to ensure ethical standards are observed, and the ways in which unethical behaviors on the part of employees are addressed. Work on ethical climates within organizations has more typically been concentrated in larger, established firms (e.g., Krohe, 1997;Sims and Keon, 2000;Trevino and Nelson, 1999). ...
The aim of this study is to increase our understanding of the ethical climate of entrepreneurial firms as they grow and develop. A developmental framework is introduced to describe the formal and informal ethical structures that emerge in entrepreneurial firms over time. Factors influencing where firms are within the developmental framework are posited, including the entrepreneur's psychological profile, lifecycle stage of the business, and descriptive characteristics of the venture. It is also proposed that the implementation of ethical structures will impact perceptions of the clarity and adequacy of the ethical standards of the firm and the firm's preparedness to deal with ethical challenges as they arise. Results are reported of a cross-sectional survey of small firms at different stages of development. The findings indicate the existence of four distinct clusters of firms based on their formal and informal ethical structures: Superlatives, Core Proponents, Pain and Gain, and Deficients. Evidence is also provided of statistically significant relationships between the proposed antecedent and outcome variables. Implications are drawn from the results, and priorities are established for future research.
... In Chapter 2, attention was drawn to discursive inconsistency that occurs when workplaces associate cognitive-dissonance-producing expectation, found in work discourses (Sims & Keon, 2000, p. 226), with obligation schizophrenia (Schaff, 1984, p. 94 which speakers may use (e.g., quite, too, really, kind of) to augment their negativity or disapproval, or express opinions in relative terms (Huddleston & Pullum, 2002, p. 585). They contribute to powerlessness because they may amplify or reduce other modifiers or hedge around a speaker's point. ...
The expectation that employees of large organisations will work extended working hours (EWH) is a phenomenon of discourse at the societal and organisational levels. This occurs in spite of the detrimental effects that working long hours can have on employees’ mental and physical health and the well-being of their families. This thesis investigates why employees comply with this expectation by focussing on managers and professionals because they are the categories of Australian employees who work the longest hours. Texts derived from a focus group and extended interviews of 30 managers and professionals are analysed and interpreted using a computer-assisted text analysis program, linguistic analysis, and discourse linguistic interpretation. Of particular emphasis is the deontic modality that research participants use to express their obligation to expectation and their attitudes about other organisational imperatives. Also crucial to this research is the agency of the participants in terms of their capacity to make and follow their own decisions. This investigation is informed by critical post-structuralist theory of Foucaultian origin involving a pragmatic distinction between analysis for meaning potential at the text level and context for meaning at the discourse level. This empirical research found that participants commonly feel cognitive dissonance from the contradiction that EWH and work-life balance (WLB) co-exist in their same organisational discourse. This paradox complicates their responses to expectation whether the participants comply or resist. Participants’ agency is therefore judged on their level of reflexivity to these organisational challenges. The professional cohort was found to be more reflexive and thus agentically stronger because their work paths are clearer. They know what work is required and, even though their working hours may be long, they see them purely as the means to achieving prescribed ends. Public sector managers’ work is also extensive but they do not have clear boundaries and thus find the boundaries between work and nonwork non-existent or blurred. Financial service managers are more agentic than public sector managers but less than the professionals. The women in this research relate to work time and life balance differently and less easily than men, particularly those who break for motherhood and / or work part-time. The theory built in this thesis can inform organisations of the ubiquitous presence of the expectation of EWH and the dangers it provides for employees and organisations. It also provides practice guidance to organisations as to how EWH may be common but do not necessarily benefit organisations or their employees. This thesis finds that it is more sensible to support employees’ agency by acknowledging their diversity and giving them choice in determining for how long they should work. This would allow employees to identify and experience obligation to their organisation and their part in negotiated knowledge production.
... It could be difficult to be simultaneously obedient and cause no harm to others. Idealists are more likely to experience incompatible expectations, especially when organizational values are not clear (Sims & Keon, 2000;Tsai & Shih, 2005). In addition, due to low pragmatism, idealists can become divorced from practice. ...
Assessing the relationships between person-organization fit, moral philosophy, and the motivation to lead
Integrity is a much-desired but little-understood feature of organisations and of the individuals they employ. It features widely in codes of conduct and lists of ethical principles. A lack of integrity is frequently cited as a cause of crises and scandals in business and public life. On the other hand few people have a clear idea of what integrity means or how it should be understood separately from ethical behaviour more generally.
The responsibility for promoting integrity in organisations ultimately falls to their leaders.
This report seeks to provide practical solutions for organisational leaders to help them achieve this.
This thesis examines whether the concept of good (environmental) governance provides a useful tool and legal base for the achievement of water sustainability in South Africa's mining sector. The thesis introduces water pollution as one sustainability challenge that South Africa is facing in its mining sector. The main question is how the legal framework should promote and guide water sustainability through good environmental governance. The question results from the fact that mining is a constant threat to water resources. Mining is one of the leading causes of water pollution which adversely affects human life among others when water contaminated with heavy metals is consumed. Farming, as an essential component of food security, is under constant threat in places like Mpumalanga as soils are rendered less productive by mine-contaminated water infiltrating from topsoil or rising from underground mines. Similarly, polluted water adversely affects biodiversity, thus, destroying ecosystems and vegetation which serve as livestock feed. The analysis of sustainability, governance and good governance theories and specific concepts underpinning them shows that they can inform water protection in the South African mining sector. Sustainability, found to be a broad and interdisciplinary concept, is a necessary guideline for the pursuit of water governance in the mining sector. Despite conflicting perceptions or facts regarding sustainability, it is evident that for water to be preserved, sustainable practices are essential. This requires mining activities to be conducted while always minimising the occurrence of water pollution to ensure water sustainability in the South African mining sector. The thesis also expounds that water sustainability pursued through governance practices is likely to be effective in alleviating or preventing water concerns. Thus, the concept of governance is presented as a tool with which individuals or organisations can achieve effective water sustainability, through decision-making, planning and law enforcement. Governance as a concept is complex, multifaceted and interdisciplinary, but can ensure water sustainability and the wellbeing of members of society who depend on the natural environment. The thesis further highlights that water sustainability is more likely when pursued through governance in its best possible form. The concept of good environmental governance is therefore explained as a theory that can guide effective decisionmaking and serve as a tool at the disposal of interested and affected parties to judge the performance of administrative officials. Effective decision-making processes and its elements are to be promoted through cooperative governance, accountability, transparency and public participation, for effective administrative action. The thesis then analyses the South African legal framework and establishes that water governance in the mining sector is extensively catered for therein. The Constitution sets the water sustainability mandate based on which legislation is enacted, both followed by legal interpretation in the courts. The analysis, however, show that there are various shortcomings relating to the implementation and enforcement of the law through administrative action. Nevertheless, the analysis remains hopeful that water sustainability can still be achieved in the mining sector. Despite the existence of environmental provisions and various attempts to achieve water sustainability, the current South African legal framework still fails to control water pollution effectively. The failure may be attributed to the shortcomings of the said framework, but it is, to a larger extent, a result of poor implementation and enforcement. One main reason is less effective administrative action due to inefficient decision-making processes, which implies that the quality of governance regarding water protection in the mining sector is inadequate. Such findings show that water sustainability could have been achieved or improved if decisionmakers had relied fully on good governance principles to implement and enforce provisions aimed at water protection in the mining sector. Hence, this thesis finds that no new regulation is required; rather it suggests a reform of various provisions within the existing legal framework to improve water sustainability. This is subject to improved implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between psychopathy and its underlying traits and financial risk and time preferences.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors measure risk and time preferences using both the cumulative prospect theory and quasi-hyperbolic time discounting in a sample of business majors. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory – Revised test is then used to measure the global psychopathy and eight primary and two secondary traits of the sample of business majors. The measures of psychopathy are used as explanatory variables to model variation in subjects’ time and risk preferences.
Findings
The authors find that the overall score on the continuum of psychopathy is positively related to the linearity of the cumulative prospective utility function. A breakdown of psychopathy into its secondary and primary traits shows a more complex relation. For example, the secondary trait of self-centered impulsivity is statistically significant in models of financial risk preference determinants under the cumulative prospect theory. The authors find that the primary traits of self-centered impulsivity and stress immunity are related to a higher time preference discount rate under quasi-hyperbolic time preferences.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the literature on personality and financial decisions and highlights the importance of psychopathy in finance.
Purpose
With the growing demand for ethical standards in the prevailing business environment, ethical leadership has been under increasingly more focus. Based on the social exchange theory and social learning theory, this study scrutinized the impact of ethical leadership on the presentation of ethical conduct by employees through the ethical climate. Notably, this study scrutinised the moderating function of the person-organisation fit (P-O fit) in relation of ethical climate and the ethical conduct of employees.
Design/methodology/approach
To evaluate the research hypotheses, two-wave data were collected from 295 individuals who are currently employed in various Iraqi organizations (i.e. manufacturing, medical and insurance industries).
Findings
In line with the hypotheses, the outcomes from a sample of 295 workers working in different Iraqi entities exhibited a positive relation between the ethical behaviour of leaders and the ethical conduct of employees in the ethical climate. Moreover, it was observed that the P-O fit of employees moderated the relationship between ethical climate and the ethical conduct of employees such that the relationship was more robust for those with a high P-O fit in comparison to those with a low P-O fit.
Research limitations/implications
The primary limitation of this study is in the data, which was obtained from a single source. Although the study conducted two surveys and utilised a mediation and moderation variables model that was less likely to be influenced by common method bias (CMB) (Podsakoff et al. , 2012), one cannot completely rule out CMB. Apart from the potential effects of the CMB, the consistency of the empirical findings could have also been compromised since self-reported data were utilised in measuring ethical behaviour, which can be a very complex and sensitive issue. For this reason, the social desirability response bias cannot be ruled out completely. When possible, future studies must gather data from multiple sources. Furthermore, supervisors must evaluate the ethical behaviour of employees. Another limitation was that the findings of this study were based on a sample in a Middle Eastern cultural context such as in Iraq. Perhaps, the particular cultural features of this context, which encompassed, among other things, a strong adherence to religious values (Moaddel, 2010), could have influenced the findings of this study. It is true that the effects of differences (P–O fit) are highly likely to replicate across cultural contexts (Triandis et al. , 1988). However, it can be seen that further studies are needed to evaluate the context-sensitivity of these findings (Whetten, 2009) by analysing other cultures, where the importance of religiosity is on the decline (i.e. in Western countries, Ribberink et al. , 2018) or where the cultural features are very much different from those that apply to Iraq. Lastly, other external factors were not taken into account by this study as it tried to explain ethical behaviour. Ethics is a highly complex subject and is influenced by numerous variables at the organisational, individual and external environment levels. Thus, caution must be observed when making inferences from the present study which, to a certain degree, offered a simplified version of ethical behaviour by concentrating on a few variables such as the Arab culture's traditional ideology, which dominates even science (Abu Khalil, 1992). In addition, there are the political conflicts in the Middle Eastern cultural context such as what is happening in Iraq (Harff, 2018). Thus, it is important to include such aspects in future researches.
Practical implications
In terms of management, the findings send a clear signal to those in the upper echelon that, without ignoring the issue of ethics in organizations, employees are a critical aspect to be taken into account to encourage ethical behaviour at the workplace. This study has important practical implications. First, this study determined that ethical leadership (here, of the supervisors) positively influences the behaviour of subordinates (refers to the supervisors here); this in turn further improves the ethical behaviour of employees. It is vital that managers or supervisors are motivated to practice ethical leadership because they directly influence the employees. It has been suggested that top managers, especially chief executive officers, have the ability to shape the ethical climate, which also influences the ethical behaviour of employees further. This study offered several feasible ways that managers can apply to achieve that. In particular, top managers may utilise the ethical climate as a way of communicating the ethical values that they have to their subordinates, thereby serving as a motivation for the subordinates to adopt an ethical behaviour. It was also suggested by this study that ethical climate and the P–O fit may, to some degree, substitute each other as they influence the ethical behaviour of employees. Therefore, firms that were identified to have a low level of ethical standards, practices, and policies, at least from the employees' perspective, are better poised to conduct ethical issues in order to construct the ethical behaviour of their subordinates. More importantly, it is highly essential that the value congruence between an organization and its followers be considered.
Social implications
This study highlighted the notion of ethics and how it’s essential for society. Ethics refer to the norms, standards, and values that direct the behavior of an individual. Ethical behaviour is vital in society because we need to be treated with respect as human beings.
Originality/value
This study responds to recent calls for more research to identify factors which may strengthen or mitigate the influence ethical behavior in the workplace such as ethical leadership, ethical climate and Person–Organization.
Abstrak: Kajian ini adalah berkenaan dengan kesan undang-undang, norma dan nilai etika yang diambil dari pendekatan tawhid paradigm terhadap keusahawanan dan masyarakat Malaysia. Pembangunan keusahawanan merangkumi tiga kriteria utama iaitu, undang-undang, norma dan nilai-nilai etika. Dalam konteks perlembagaan undang-undang, pengekalan etika keusahawanan adalah dianggap penting. Di samping itu, bidang keusahawanan juga perlu membangungkan norma usahawan samada dari segi bertulis (kod etika) mahupun tersirat. Paradigma Tawhid diwujudkan bagi memupuk kawalan dalaman berdasarkan kerohanian Islam dan pembentukan iman serta akhlak yang kukuh bagi menyumbangkan kepada hubungan yang harmoni di antara keusahawanan PKS dan masyarakat Malaysia secara amnya. Temuduga secara peribadi terhadap usahawan PKS Malaysia yang dipilih dari sekitar Lembah Kelang telah dijalankan bagi mendapatkan pandangan serta maklumat lanjut berhubung dengan penyelidikan ini. Keputusan awal telah menunjukkan bahawa penglibatan undang-undang, norma dan nilai-nilai etika di PKS masih di peringkat awal. Walaubagaimana pun, keusahawanan PKS modular di bawah naungan pelbagai agensi yang berkaitan di Malaysia seperti FAMA, SME Corporation, TEKUN dam TERAJU adalah sejajar dengan prinsip keharmonian di antara perniagaan dan masyarat sejagat. Dicadangkan supaya kajian pada masa hadapan perlu menggunakan instrument yang lebih menyeluruh dan terperinci di samping mengumpul maklumat yang lebih meluas dari usahawan di setiap bidang dan kawasan.
Purpose
A significant and increasing number of graduate recruits take up employment for specific companies by virtue of their ethical reputation and profiles. As such, ethical fit has become an important dimension of the attraction and retention of graduates. However, preconceived notions of a company’s ethical orientation obtained through the media and initial recruitment exercises may be challenged during the induction and socialization phases of organizational entry, such that people may find that the reputation is just an external façade leading to disappointment and a reassessment of the employer. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The study’s essential focus is on building a conceptual ethical fit model and to underline the need for further conceptual development in the area. The analysis of extant secondary data and the methodology of serendipity were used.
Findings
The model’s conceptual cogency and practical utility for human resource management are analyzed in the light of specific secondary data and specific propositions described.
Research limitations/implications
A major concern with conceptual models is empirical validity and practical utility which requires empirical testing. However, this limitation has been mitigated by the use of a serendipitous approach from a qualitative empirical study with a generalized person–organization (P–O) focus.
Practical implications
Various practical implications of the model described in the paper for HR management are evident from empirical studies in the area which have dealt with particular aspects of the model. For example, Bauer et al. (1998) found that socialization effects employee turnover. And, Cable and Parsons (2001) indicate that organizational socialization is critical in generating committed employees whose values are congruent with those of the organization. Since committed employees are critical for the success of the organization, they suggest training programs for hiring managers and criteria in performance appraisals that include the development of employee value congruence through specific formal socialization tactics.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the extant literature by building a dynamic conceptual model with attendant testable propositions that explore the implications of employee misalignment in pre-socialization anticipatory organizational ethical fit and post-socialization organizational ethical fit. More specifically, the study contributes to the extant literature by considering the socialization process in relation to ethical fit dynamics. It also considers from the point of view of specific moral development theory and changing perceptions of ethical climate that occur during organizational socialization. Serendipitous material obtained from a qualitative study of P–O fit puts flesh on the bones of the effects of the socialization process on ethical fit described by the paper’s conceptual model while providing circumstantial evidence for the propositions and their practical utility for HR management.
Purpose
This paper examines whether business students deceive others more often than non-business students.
Design/methodology/approach
A cheap talk experiment and an ethics questionnaire are employed to examine the subject’s behavior. Fundamental differences, such as psychopathic personality, are used to examine their role in deceptive and unethical behavior.
Findings
The results show that business students deceive others for personal gain more often than non-business students when there is the most to gain; however, business students find deception committed by others as unethical. Business students exhibit more psychopathic tendencies compared to non-business students, including being more likely to fit the prototypical psychopath profile. This fundamental difference in psychopathy can help explain why individuals deceive others and behave unethically.
Practical implications
These results have important implications for the business industry and the design of policies.
Originality/value
Thus, this study endeavors to advance the literature on fundamental distinctions between those who work in high levels of organizations and how this fundamental difference impacts decision making.
With today's emphasis on building strong customer relationships in the business-to-business sales environment, appropriate leadership is necessary to instill ethical and provide the proper guidance among employees to ensure ethical decision-making and improve sales performance. This research examines the role of perceived ethical leadership as it relates to both formal and informal marketing control mechanisms (i.e. salesforce socialization) that influence persona-organization fit, and how this fit relates to salesperson unethical intent and performance. Results from a study of 408 business-to-business salespeople suggest that perceived ethical leadership both directly, and indirectly via salesforce socialization, affects salesperson ethical values persona-organization fit, which in turn affects salesperson performance. Based on these findings, both theoretical and managerial implications are provided, as well as directions for future research.
This study explores the relationship between organizational ethical culture and ethical behavior of accounting/finance professionals working in the insurance industry in the United States. Results of 100 respondents in five different insurance organizations suggest that there is a significant relationship between organizational ethical culture and ethical behavioral intentions given bad debt write off and insider trading ethical vignettes. This was consistent with prior research findings that written (formal) and unwritten (informal) organizational policies significantly affect employees’ ethical decision-making (Sims and Keon, 2000 & 1997). Key (1999) also argued that organizational culture sends messages as to sanctioned and unsanctioned behavior.
Can organizational ethical culture predict ethical behavioral intentions of accounting/finance professionals? Research suggests that organizations have identifiable cultures, which are inclusive of ethics. This research assessed the relationship between organizational ethical culture and ethical behavioral intentions using the theory of planned behavior. Results suggest that organizational ethical culture is a statistically significant predictor of ethical behavioral intentions of accounting/finance professionals working in the insurance industry within the United States.
Most research on corporate responsibility (CR) has investigated CR from the perspective of organizations, often focusing on how organizations define, manage and implement CR to gain benefits or competitive advantage. The benefits of CR for organizations are, however, often said to be achieved through increased support of stakeholders. Despite this, limited attention has been given to understanding CR from the perspective of stakeholders and, in particular, the mechanism by which CR drives stakeholder support. This study addresses this deficit. Building on advances in the application of psychological theories to the field of management, the research develops and empirically tests a theoretical model of how CR‐related experiences and beliefs drive stakeholder trust and positive intent. The research is conducted with customers (n = 708) and employees (n = 359) of a service organization in the UK that introduced a range of CR‐related activities into their business. The findings contribute to literature by empirically demonstrating (a) the impact of CR‐related experiences on the development of beliefs about, and trust towards, the organization; (b) the importance of ‘others‐related’ CR experiences even in the presence of ‘self‐related’ CR experiences; and (c) the role of beliefs as partial mediators in how experiences of CR, both ‘self‐related’ and ‘others‐related’, translate into trust and positive intent.
This article summarises the findings from a study of practising managers which explored experiences of and views on decision making about actual ethical issues in organisations. Data gathering was based on a combination of an intensive case study of an organisation and in-depth interviews with senior managers and management consultants from 32 organisations. A rigorous qualitative analysis of the observed experiences, strategies and responses to ethical issues and problems resulted in categorisation of skills associated with: judgement, integrity, courage and humanity. The different ways in which these skills were integrated led to approaches identified as: legalistic, entrepreneurial, navigation and worried modes. The repertoire of skills which contributes to selection of these alternative approaches and implications for the development of ethical decision making practices are discussed.
Questionnaire data from 161 business professionals were analyzed to investigate a proposed interaction between pressure to engage in unethical work activity and relativistic moral beliefs with respect to business professionals’ organizational commitment and intentions to leave the organization. The results indicated that organizational commitment was lower and intention to leave was higher for professionals who felt pressured by their employer to engage in unethical work activity. The proposed interaction was also significant for organizational commitment demonstrating that organizational commitment was generally high, except for business professionals who felt pressured to engage in unethical behavior and did not adhere to a belief that ethics are relative.
Purpose
– In the personal selling industry, it is particularly difficult for salespeople to manage a conflict of interest that exists between the company and customers. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of time based compensation on salespeople's selling decisions when the conflict occurs.
Design/methodology/approach
– Questionnaire surveys were collected from 361 full‐time life insurance salespeople in Taiwan.
Findings
– The results indicate that compensation, training, and marketing policy may affect salespeople's selling decisions.
Originality/value
– Very little research addresses what salespeople would do when a conflict of interest occurs between the company and customers. Also, how time based compensation would affect salespeople's selling decisions in company‐customer conflict is unknown. Furthermore, training and marketing policy may affect salespeople's selling decisions in the conflict. This paper relates to these issues and provides some discussions of them.
Jones''s (1991) issue-contingent model of ethical decision making posits that six dimensions of moral intensity influence decision makers'' recognition of an issue as a moral problem and subsequent behavior. He notes that "organizational settings present special challenges to moral agents" (1991, p. 390) and that organizational factors affect "moral decision making and behavior at two points: establishing moral intent and engaging in moral behavior" (1991, p. 391). This model, however, minimizes both the impact of organizational setting and organizational factors on these experiences of ethical issues. In this theory, context is modeled as affecting the moral intent and behavior of the actor rather than directly affecting the issue''s moral intensity. Here we look specifically at the effect of context on the moral intensity of ethical issues through a phenomenological study. Our results indicate that in certain environments, context may be critical in affecting the moral intensity of ethical issues. Thus, researchers should consider it more fully when assessing these issues'' moral intensity.
This research investigates the efficacy of business ethics intervention, tests a theoretical model that the love of money
is directly or indirectly related to propensity to engage in unethical behavior (PUB), and treats college major (business
vs. psychology) and gender (male vs. female) as moderators in multi-group analyses. Results suggested that business students
who received business ethics intervention significantly changed their conceptions of unethical behavior and reduced their
propensity to engage in theft; while psychology students without intervention had no such changes. Therefore, ethics training
had some impacts on business students’ learning and education (intelligence). For our theoretical model, results of the whole
sample (N=298) revealed that Machiavellianism (measured at Time 1) was a mediator of the relationship between the love of money (measured
at Time 1) and unethical behavior (measured at Time 2) (the Love of Money → Machiavellianism → Unethical Behavior). Further,
this mediating effect existed for business students (n=198) but not for psychology students (n=100), for male students (n=165) but not for female students (n=133), and for male business students (n=128) but not for female business students (n=70). Moreover, when examined alone, the direct effect (the Love of Money → Unethical Behavior) existed for business students
but not for psychology students. We concluded that a short business ethics intervention may have no impact on the issue of
virtue (wisdom).
This study aimed to elucidate the withdrawal behaviors syndrome (lateness, absence, and intent to leave work) among nurses
by examining interrelations between these behaviors and the mediating effect of organizational commitment upon ethical perceptions
(caring climate, formal climate, and distributive justice) and withdrawal behaviors. Two-hundred and one nurses from one hospital
in northern Israel participated. Data collection was based on questionnaires and hospital records using a two-phase design.
The analyses are based on Hierarchical Multiple Regressions and on Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS. Affective commitment
was found to mediate the relationship between different dimensions of nurses’ ethical perceptions (caring climate, formal
climate, and distributive justice) and their intent to leave work. Lateness was found to be positively related to absence
frequency which was found negatively related to intent to leave. Males were late more frequently than females, while seniority
was related only to absence frequency. The findings indicated that each withdrawal behavior exhibits unique relationships.
The results may help policy makers to focus on improving the ethical environment in order to increase nurses’ commitment and
reduce their intent to leave. Improving the ethical environment may be achieved through ethical education for nurses which
may promote ethical considerations becoming an integral part of nurses’ work.
Keywordsabsence–distributive justice–ethical climate–ethical perceptions–intent to leave–lateness–nurses–organizational commitment–organizational justice–withdrawal behaviors
The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an informal socialization process for reported employee attitudes towards unethical behavior within a large retail organization. This study compares the reported ethical attitudes of full-time employees (N=203) who were socialized using an informal approach, to the reported ethical attitudes of their managers (N=274) who were socialized using a formal approach. The results indicate that the informal approach to ethical socialization was not as effective as the formal approach to ethical socialization. Employees were more accepting of unethical behavior than were their managers. Implications are discussed and recommendations for ethical socialization techniques are provided.
In this study, the author explores the relationship between conflicting ethical expectations for lying behavior and employee attitudes. In a sample of 140 full-time employees, the findings indicated that as the difference between formal codes of ethics and supervisor expectations for lying behavior increases, intentions to turnover and expressed feelings of intrapersonal role conflict increase, and job and organizational satisfaction and affective commitment decrease. However, conflicting ethical expectations were not significantly associated with a commitment to continue in the job.
Much of the work in professional ethics sees ethical problems as resulting from ethical ignorance, ethical failure or evil intent. While this approach gets at real and valid concerns, it does not capture the whole story because it does not take into account the underlying professional or institutional culture in which moral decision making is imbedded. My argument in this paper is that this culture plays a powerful and sometimes determinant role in establishing the nature of the ethical debate, i.e., it helps to define what are viable action options, what is the organization's genuine mission, and what behaviors will be rewarded or criticized. Given these conclusions, I also argue that consulting ethicists need more than an understanding of ethics theory, concepts and principles; they also need a sufficiently rich understanding of organizational culture and a willingness and an ability to critique that culture.
The purported advantage of a strong corporate culture presumes that positive outcomes result when peoples' values are congruent with those of others. This was tested by using a design that controlled for artifacts in prior studies. Participants, 191 production workers, their supervisors (
N = 17), and 13 managers at a large industrial products plant, completed questionnaires containing measures of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work values. Responses were later matched with the attendance and performance records of the production workers in the sample. Results showed that workers were more satisfied and committed when their values were congruent with the values of their supervisor. Value congruence between workers and their supervisors was not significantly correlated with workers' tenure; however, its effect on organizational commitment was more pronounced for longer tenured employees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The measurement of person–environment (PE) fit and the relationship of fit and job satisfaction are described, illustrated, and evaluated from the perspective of theory of work adjustment by R. V. Dawis et al. Using 19 statistical indices across 6 occupational groups, Study 1 examined the issues of commensurate measurement and representations of the correspondence and satisfaction relationship. Study 2 evaluated the relationship of 4 correspondence indices and job satisfaction with 225 adult vocational counseling clients in 98 occupations 1 yr after initial contact. Overall, results show that the best statistical indices for assessing correspondence seem to be measures of profile shape. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Is the recent popular management literature on corporate culture and cultural values just a passing fad or is it highlighting some fundamental organizational realities? The results from a recent nationwide survey of American managers shows, we are convinced, that clearly articulated organizational values do make a significant difference in the lives of employees, as well as in their organization's performance. This article is an effort to integrate this broad-based data on individual managers' values with the reported experience of successful organizations that pay careful attention to their culture. It also offers ideas on how human resource managers can facilitate the alignment of personal and organizational values.
The present study examines the impact of organizational values and value congruency on satisfaction, commitment, and cohesion within a not-for-profit setting. Information for the study was collected from 387 highway and transportation department executives. The findings indicate that organizational values affect satisfaction, commitment, and cohesion. Moreover, value congruence (i.e., a fit between professed organizational values and the values deemed appropriate by employees) also impacts these behavioral variables. If organizations lack the values studies and/or value congruence is low, the study results indicate that action should be taken to change the organization's value orientation.
This article combines elements found in high-reliability organizations with an emphasis on ethical decision making to suggest how a combination of the two can yield maximum productivity for public agencies. The article is divided into three parts: The first describes high-reliability organizations; the second describes ethical decision making; and the third produces a synthesis, called high-reliability management, that builds on the strengths of high-reliability organizations and ethical decisions.
This research was conducted at the clerical and hourly employee levels in two large organizations. It investigates the congruence or 'fit' of five personality predispositions with the relative certainty of jobs. The hypothesis tested is that this person-job congruence is related to individual psychological adjustment and development at work, as represented by an individual's 'sense of competence' on the job. The hypothesis is supported and the implications of the findings, especially regarding understanding the meaning of work for an individual, are discussed.
The article describes and analyzes role problems of trainers who conduct conflict-management workshops between Arabs and Jews in Israel. Using role theory concepts, the article focuses on two types of role problems: role ambiguity and role conflict. Role ambiguity in this case stems from two sources: inadequate information concerning ends or goals of conflict-management workshops and inadequate information concerning the trainers' appropriate behavior. Particular instances of person-role conflicts are presented and explained. They evolve around dilemmas in the personal, cultural, and political spheres of the trainers'lives and their professional roles. The article concludes with a discussion regarding consequences of role problems on the trainers'performances. Measures to counteract these consequences are pointed out and discussed.
This study examined how the perceived congruence between self-and organizational images affects one's choice of a graduate school of business. Applicants with a positive self-image (N = 64) select schools most like their self-image, whereas applicants with a negative self-image (N = 18) select schools least like their self-image. The retention of directionality in difference scores is shown to be a useful data analysis technique when testing congruence hypotheses.
58 social workers completed a social work process inventory and a role conflict scale to identify ethical issues faced during the social work process. Results indicate that Ss experienced ethical conflicts at all treatment phases (assessment, intervention, and termination); the greatest degree of conflict occurred during intervention and termination. Informing third parties of dangerous client behavior was the most intense source of conflict in the intervention phase. Discharging clients regardless of their treatment needs due to policy and funding constraints was the most severe source of conflict in termination. Findings highlight the need for conflict management training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Relationships between organization members’agreement on organizational goats and their attitudes and intentions regarding the organization were investigated in this study. A constituency approach was used to operationalize the organization into meaningful units as the basis for comparison between organizational members. Specifically, the congruence between hierarchical levels (supervisor-subordinate) and within a level (member-constituency) was examined. Both types of congruence were hypothesized to relate positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment and negatively to intention to quit. The hypotheses were tested using data from 356 principals and 14,721 teachers, each rating the importance of goals for their school. The results confirmed the hypotheses regarding goal congruence among members of a constituency (teachers) and between hierarchical levels (principals and teachers), with member-constituency congruence having the greater impact on teachers’attitudes and intention to quit.
The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the ethical climate of the organization and the development of person-organization fit. The relationship between an individual's stage of moral development and his/her perceived ethical work environment was examined using a sample of 86 working students. Results indicate that a match between individual preferences and present position proved most satisfying. Subjects expressing a match between their preferences for an ethical work climate and their present ethical work climate indicated that they were less likely to leave their positions.
This paper focuses on the differing ways in which organizations send conflicting signals, in the form of contending organizational values, to their managers regarding the appropriate behavior in a given situation, and the impact that this has on the manager's decision-making process. It posits the existence of three different types of organizational value contention and examines their influence on the resulting patterns of sense-making and behavior evident in the manager's responses, based upon interview data from a cross-section of managers in two organizations.
This study examines the influence of ethical fit on employee attitudes and intentions to turnover. The results of this investigation provides support for the conjecture that ethical work climate is an important variable in the study of person-organization fit. Ethical fit was found to be significantly related to turnover intentions, continuance commitment, and affective commitment, but not to job satisfaction. Results are discussed in regard to some of the affective and cognitive distinctions among satisfaction, commitment, and behavioral intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Business Ethics is the property of Springer Science & Business Media B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Measurement of Accountants’ Ethical Role Conflict
- P D Dwyer
- A Friedberg
Ethical Reasoning in Business
- R B Blake
- D A Carroll
The Development of Six Ethical Dilemmas, Paper presented at the national meeting of the Academy of Management
- R L Sims