Contagious business: when we copy unethical behavior

Sanne Ponsioen

Contagious business: when we copy unethical behavior

Vertaalde titel van de bijdrage: onethische zaken: wanneer we onethisch gedrag kopiëren

Sanne Ponsioen

Human Resource Management & Organisational Behaviour

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Onethisch gedrag in organisaties is een ongelukkig verschijnsel. Zowel de praktijk als de wetenschap zijn dan ook continue bezig met het bedenken van manieren om dit gedrag te verminderen. Deze dissertatie levert een bijdrage aan de kennis van onethisch gedrag binnen organisaties door te onderzoeken onder welke omstandigheden onethisch gedrag wordt overgenomen van de ene collega op de andere collega. Resultaten laten zien dat persoonlijkheidseigenschappen ervoor zorgen dat sommige individuen meer geneigd zijn om onethisch gedrag over te nemen. Het blijkt dat individuen met een sterke neiging tot moreel rationaliseren eerder onethisch gedrag overnemen, maar alleen wanneer zij een lage morele identiteit hebben. Vervolgens laten de resultaten zien dat ook de interpersoonlijke relatie tussen het gedragsvoorbeeld en de observeerder van het gedrag belangrijk is. Het gaat daarbij om de status van het gedragsvoorbeeld. De precieze richting van de invloed van status is afhankelijk van het gedrag wat wordt geobserveerd. Mensen zijn meer geneigd om ethisch gedrag over te nemen van collega’s met een hoge status, terwijl mensen minder geneigd zijn om onethisch gedrag over te nemen van collega’s met een hoge status. Tot slot, de invloed van de organisatie context is bestudeerd door te kijken naar de mate waarin iemand zich identificeert met de organisatie. Resultaten laten zien dat mensen sneller onethisch gedrag over nemen van collega’s wanneer ze zich nauwelijks identificeren met de organisatie. Echter, wanneer het onethische gedrag ogenschijnlijk voordelig voor de organisatie is, wordt het gedrag overgenomen door mensen welke zich sterk identificeren met de organisatie welke. Voortvloeiend uit deze resultaten worden er verscheidende theoretische en praktische implicaties beschreven.

Vertaalde titel van de bijdrage	onethische zaken: wanneer we onethisch gedrag kopiëren
Originele taal-2	English
Kwalificatie	Doctor of Philosophy
Toekennende instantie	Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Begeleider(s)/adviseur	Molleman, Eric, Supervisor Mulder, Laetitia, Co-supervisor
Datum van toekenning	17-apr.-2014
Plaats van publicatie	Groningen
Uitgever	University of Groningen, SOM research school
Gedrukte ISBN's	978-90-367-6899-3
Elektronische ISBN's	978-90-367-6898-6
Status	Published - 2014

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title = "Contagious business: when we copy unethical behavior",

abstract = "Unethical behavior in organizations is an unfortunate phenomenon, causing a continuous effort of both scholars and practitioners to effectively reduce such behavior. This dissertation aims to enhance our understanding of unethical behavior in organizations by showing under what circumstances social interactions cause unethical behavior to be copied by one employee from another. Results show how individual attributes may cause some individuals to be more inclined than others to copy observed unethical behavior. More specific, people that have a high tendency to morally disengage are more susceptible to copy unethical behavior from a colleague, but only when their moral identity is low. Also, the results show that the interpersonal relation between the behavioral exemplar and the observer is of importance; status of the behavioral exemplar impacts one{\textquoteright}s susceptibility to copy behavior of this exemplar. The specific direction of this influence depends on the type of behavior. People are more inclined to copy ethical behavior from colleagues with a high status, whereas unethical behavior is less likely to be copied from high status colleagues. Last, the influence of the organizational context was studied by looking at one{\textquoteright}s degree of identification with the organization. Results show that employees are more willing to copy unethical behavior when their commitment with the organization is low. However, when the unethical behavior at stake is seemingly beneficial to the organization, employees that highly identify with the organization are more likely to follow and act upon unethical exemplars. Different theoretical and practical implications are drawn.",

author = "Sanne Ponsioen",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-90-367-6899-3",

publisher = "University of Groningen, SOM research school",

school = "University of Groningen",

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T1 - Contagious business: when we copy unethical behavior

AU - Ponsioen, Sanne

PY - 2014

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N2 - Unethical behavior in organizations is an unfortunate phenomenon, causing a continuous effort of both scholars and practitioners to effectively reduce such behavior. This dissertation aims to enhance our understanding of unethical behavior in organizations by showing under what circumstances social interactions cause unethical behavior to be copied by one employee from another. Results show how individual attributes may cause some individuals to be more inclined than others to copy observed unethical behavior. More specific, people that have a high tendency to morally disengage are more susceptible to copy unethical behavior from a colleague, but only when their moral identity is low. Also, the results show that the interpersonal relation between the behavioral exemplar and the observer is of importance; status of the behavioral exemplar impacts one’s susceptibility to copy behavior of this exemplar. The specific direction of this influence depends on the type of behavior. People are more inclined to copy ethical behavior from colleagues with a high status, whereas unethical behavior is less likely to be copied from high status colleagues. Last, the influence of the organizational context was studied by looking at one’s degree of identification with the organization. Results show that employees are more willing to copy unethical behavior when their commitment with the organization is low. However, when the unethical behavior at stake is seemingly beneficial to the organization, employees that highly identify with the organization are more likely to follow and act upon unethical exemplars. Different theoretical and practical implications are drawn.

AB - Unethical behavior in organizations is an unfortunate phenomenon, causing a continuous effort of both scholars and practitioners to effectively reduce such behavior. This dissertation aims to enhance our understanding of unethical behavior in organizations by showing under what circumstances social interactions cause unethical behavior to be copied by one employee from another. Results show how individual attributes may cause some individuals to be more inclined than others to copy observed unethical behavior. More specific, people that have a high tendency to morally disengage are more susceptible to copy unethical behavior from a colleague, but only when their moral identity is low. Also, the results show that the interpersonal relation between the behavioral exemplar and the observer is of importance; status of the behavioral exemplar impacts one’s susceptibility to copy behavior of this exemplar. The specific direction of this influence depends on the type of behavior. People are more inclined to copy ethical behavior from colleagues with a high status, whereas unethical behavior is less likely to be copied from high status colleagues. Last, the influence of the organizational context was studied by looking at one’s degree of identification with the organization. Results show that employees are more willing to copy unethical behavior when their commitment with the organization is low. However, when the unethical behavior at stake is seemingly beneficial to the organization, employees that highly identify with the organization are more likely to follow and act upon unethical exemplars. Different theoretical and practical implications are drawn.

M3 - Thesis fully internal (DIV)

SN - 978-90-367-6899-3

PB - University of Groningen, SOM research school

CY - Groningen

ER -

Contagious business: when we copy unethical behavior

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