Being “in Control” May Make You Lose Control: The Role of Self-Regulation in Unethical Leadership Behavior

In the present article, we argue that the constant pressure that leaders face may limit the willpower required to behave according to ethical norms and standards and may therefore lead to unethical behavior. Drawing upon the ego depletion and moral self-regulation literatures, we examined whether self-regulatory depletion that is contingent upon the moral identity of leaders may promote unethical leadership behavior. A laboratory experiment and a multisource field study revealed that regulatory resource depletion promotes unethical leader behaviors among leaders who are low in moral identity. No such effect was found among leaders with a high moral identity. This study extends our knowledge on why organizational leaders do not always conform to organizational goals. Specifically, we argue that the hectic and fragmented workdays of leaders may increase the likelihood that they violate ethical norms. This highlights the necessity to carefully schedule tasks that may have ethical implications. Similarly, organizations should be aware that overloading their managers with work may increase the likelihood of their leaders transgressing ethical norms.     

Decision‐making biases and affective states: their potential impact on best practice innovations

Contributions from the decision‐making literature concerning biases and heuristics (i.e., anchoring, framing, confirmatory and availability biases, overconfidence, and representativeness) and from the Affect Infusion Model (Forgas, 1995) are integrated into Rogers's (2003) conceptualization of the stages of innovation adoption and diffusion. Specific propositions based on the decision‐making and affect literatures are made in relation to each stage of the innovation process (knowledge of innovation, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation) to better understand the likelihood of a manager making an informed and appropriate decision concerning the adoption and implementation of best practices. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Examining Reactions to Workplace Diversity: The Role of Dissimilarity–Attraction in Teams

This paper examines existing theory for understanding diversity in teams and offers propositions consistent with a unique dissimilarity–attraction framework. Prior relational demography research is examined and collective findings are used to purport this new direction for the field. Given current organizational and societal norms that emphasize a shift to a more proactive approach to diversity and inclusion, dissimilarity itself is suggested to signal positive cues for social identification and initial attraction among team members. The analyses may offer new approaches for framing hypotheses in relational demography research. Practical implications for management hinge on the notion that an understanding of these processes can have real and substantial impacts on team dynamics and associated competitive advantage. Copyright © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impacts of peers’ unethical behavior on employees’ ethical intention: Moderated mediation by Machiavellian orientation

Research suggests a direct negative relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and employees’ ethical intention. But several possible mechanisms might explain this relationship in more detail. For example, Machiavellianism is a personality trait characterized by interpersonal manipulation and the use of unethical means to achieve certain self‐interested ends, whether useful or pleasant. This article adopts an Aristotelian understanding of philia, related to three goods on which human relationships rest: useful, pleasant, and honest. We propose that Machiavellianism, a self‐interested, pragmatic personality orientation, might explicate the relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and ethical intention. The results of a structural equation model applied to a sample of 436 banking employees in Spain reveals that Machiavellianism partially mediates the relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and employees’ ethical intention. We also find that with a greater level of peers’ unethical behavior, the negative effect of Machiavellianism on ethical intention increases, and that when peers’ unethical behavior is nonexistent, the negative effect of Machiavellianism on ethical intention disappears. These findings advance current literature by revealing that unethical peers can indirectly influence ethical intention, through shaping Machiavellianism. Our study is also the first to show that pairing high Machiavellians with ethical peers can help to cancel out the negative influence of Machiavellianism on ethical intention.     

An Empirical Investigation of the Influence of Selected Personal, Organizational and Moral Intensity Factors on Ethical Decision Making

This exploratory study of ethical decision making by individuals in organizations found moral intensity, as defined by Jones (1991), to significantly influence ethical decision making intentions of managers. Moral intensity explained 37% and 53% of the variance in ethical decision making in two decision-making scenarios. In part, the results of this research support our theoretical understanding of ethical/unethical decision-making and serve as a foundation for future research.     

Status Differentiation and the Protean Self: A Social-Cognitive Model of Unethical Behavior in Organizations

Based on social-cognitive theory, this article proposes a model that seeks to explain why high status organizational members engage in unethical behavior. We argue that status differentiation in organizations creates social isolation which initiates activation of high status group identity and a deactivation of moral identity. We further argue that high status group identity results in insensitivity to the needs of out-group members which, in turn, results in lessened motivation to self-regulate ethical decision making. As a result of this identity activation, we demonstrate how high status individuals will be more vulnerable to engaging in unethical activities. Individual-level moderators of the relationships are also discussed.     

Growth Intentions and Board Composition in High‐Growth Firms

This paper examines the influence of board composition on growth intentions of high‐growth firms. We hypothesize that gender diversity and a high proportion of independent directors on the board will reduce a firm's growth intentions, whereas founder duality will increase a firm's growth intentions. Using survey data from 773 high‐growth Norwegian firms, we find that gender diversity has a negative effect on growth intentions. A high proportion of independent directors do not facilitate further growth in high‐growth firms. Furthermore, our results indicate that the founder's presence in the decision‐making group increases a firm's growth intentions.     

Falling or Not Falling into Temptation? Multiple Faces of Temptation, Monetary Intelligence, and Unethical Intentions Across Gender

We develop a theoretical model, explore the relationship between temptation (both reflective and formative) and unethical intentions by treating monetary intelligence (MI) as a mediator, and examine the direct (temptation to unethical intentions) and indirect (temptation to MI to unethical intentions) paths simultaneously based on multiple-wave panel data collected from 340 part-time employees and university (business) students. The positive indirect path suggested that yielding to temptation (e.g., high cognitive impairment and lack of self-control) led to poor MI (low stewardship behavior, but high cognitive meaning) that, in turn, led to high unethical intentions (theft, corruption, and deception). Our counterintuitive negative direct path revealed that those who controlled their temptation had high unethical intentions. Due to the multiple faces of temptation (the suppression effect), maliciously controlled temptation (low cognitive impairment and high self control) led to deviant intentions. Subsequent multi-group analysis across gender (a moderator) reformulated the mystery of temptation: a negative direct path for males, but a positive indirect path for females. For males, the negative direct path generated a dark impact on unethical intentions; for females, the positive indirect path did not, but offered great implications for consumer behavior. Both falling “and” not falling into temptation led to unethical intentions which varied across gender. Our counterintuitive, novel, and original theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions may spark curiosity and add new vocabulary to the conversation regarding temptation, money attitudes, consumer psychology, and business ethics.     

Stealing Time at Work: Attitudes,Social Pressure,and Perceived Control as Predictors of Time Theft

Organizations have long struggled to find ways to reduce the occurrence of unethical behaviors by employees. Unfortunately, time theft, a common and costly form of ethical misconduct at work, has been understudied by ethics researchers. In order to remedy this gap in the literature, we used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the antecedents of time theft, which includes behaviors such as arriving later to or leaving earlier from work than scheduled, taking additional or longer breaks than is acceptable, and on-the-job daydreaming. We surveyed 135 employed undergraduate business students regarding the TPB variables at Time 1. Two months later, participants reported the frequency they engaged in time theft since Time 1. Results indicate that behavioral, normative, and control beliefs significantly predicted attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, respectively. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, in turn, were significantly related to time theft intentions, which predicted later enactment of time theft. Thus, employers can decrease time theft by primarily focusing on altering employees’ attitudes toward time theft, followed by reducing social pressures to engage in it, and lastly, by implementing organizational practices that make it difficult to commit time theft.     

Organizational socialization and positive organizational behaviour: implications for theory,research, and practice

The purpose of this paper is to advocate a shift in research and practice on organizational socialization towards one based on positive organizational behaviour (POB). First, we demonstrate how the prevailing perspectives of organizational socialization are based on a cognitive‐learning process that emphasizes information and knowledge acquisition. We then review the literature on POB and psychological capital (PsyCap) and argue that socialization processes should be designed to develop the PsyCap of newcomers. We offer a new approach to organizational socialization called socialization resources theory (SRT) and describe four broad socialization resources that can be used to develop newcomers' self‐efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience. Finally, we discuss the implications of this approach for research and practice on organizational socialization. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What does employee ownership effectiveness look like? The case of a Canadian‐based firm

Drawing on agency theory, we explore how 30 employees defined ownership effectiveness in a 100 % employee‐owned Canadian‐based firm. Using a qualitative case‐study, remarkable similarities were found in the factors employees themselves believed contributed most to ownership effectiveness. Despite differences in job roles, employees emphasized confidence in the ownership program, participative decision‐making, ownership identity, and their organization as a family unit. In light of these findings, we discuss how a broader conceptualization of employee ownership effectiveness can be applied for a more comprehensive understanding of how such programs may develop and manifest. Copyright © 2016 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ethical decision‐making in Islamic financial institutions in light of Maqasid Al‐Sharia: A conceptual framework

This article develops a conceptual framework for ethical decision‐making in Islamic financial institution based on the Islamic methodological approaches on ethics. While making use of the similarities between the scientific method and the Islamic jurisprudence method, a framework is developed by means of argumentation and reasoning to integrate Sharia doctrines with the “plan, do, check and act” (PDCA) cycle as a managerial tool. Using Al‐Raysuni's analysis of Al‐Shatibi's work on maqasid al‐sharia, this article develops a framework to assess the ethical aspects of Islamic financial operations, which is then applied to hypothetical cases. This approach can help overcome the methodological deficiencies in measuring ethical performance in Islamic finance by focusing on the process of ethical decision‐making that leads to the outcomes of organizational behavior beyond legality of contracts. The framework outlines the conditions under which an activity that is considered legal and permissible contractually could lead to outcomes that can make it ethical or unethical.     

The Influence of Workplace Justice Perceptions on Commercial Driver Turnover Intentions

Employee retention is a critical and challenging workplace issue including in the U.S. motor carrier industry with its perennially high driver turnover rates. Truck driver retention affects supply chain performance because of its impact on carrier operating safety and the service capacity of the trucking industry. Government authorities exert an influence on truck driver retention via the safety policies, labor policies, and regulations they mandate. A proposed rule requiring electronic on‐board recorders of some carrier drivers offers an opportunity to investigate the influence of government policy on driver work intentions. In this study we examine this influence through the lens of procedural justice theory. Drawing on procedural justice literature, we develop a model which examines the procedural justice perceptions of commercial drivers and the subsequent impact on their decision‐making behavior, including their organizational and industry intentions to remain or quit.     

How buyers frame problems: Revisited

This article investigates the following propositions: a useful approach for building an organizational‐buying–behavior taxonomy might begin with classifying how buyers frame purchasing problems followed by how such frames affect subsequent perceptions and actions in the decision process. Unlike previous taxonomies of buying situations, direct questioning of organizational buyers is used to learn: (1) whether or not they identify different categories of buying problems; (2) if they do, what dimensions they use when framing buying problems; and (3) how do such frames influence their choices of value‐added service alternatives offered by suppliers. To test the propositions empirically, supplier choices are modeled with the use of buying‐decision exercises. A key result of this study is that the buyers’ framing of problems affects their preferences for vendor designs of value‐added customer services. Most likely, the framing of buying problems by organizational buyers is layered and more complex than related taxonomies found in the marketing literature. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The moderating influence of ad framing for ad–self‐congruency effects

Prior research indicates that ad–self‐congruency effects are significant only when participants are not motivated to process ad messages, as when they are in a positive rather than negative affective state (Chang, 2002a). In line with this reasoning, it was expected that ad tactics such as ad framing that can evoke emotional responses would determine reliance on ad–self‐congruency for making judgments. As expected, when positive emotions were evoked by positive ad framing, participants formed brand evaluations based on ad–self‐congruency, generating more positive responses to self‐congruent ad messages than to self‐incongruent messages. In contrast, when negative emotions were elicited by negative ad framing, responses to self‐congruent ad messages and self‐incongruent messages were not significantly different. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

She shares,but he does not: Gender differences in the sharing of charity‐related content on social networking sites

Online social networks are widely used methods of communication. This research examines gender differences in people's tendency to post charity‐related messages. In general, compared to males, females show more empathic concerns with online charity‐related messages, which increases their willingness to post messages on their online social networking sites. However, message framing is key. Females' higher tendency only holds for charity messages that focus on benefits to others or the feelings of others, not for messages that are self‐focused. This research also identifies one way of improving men's willingness to post. Messages that are framed by focusing on negative consequence appeals can increase empathic concerns, which can increase males' willingness to share online charity messages on online social networking sites.     

The reversing influence of involvement on the framing effect: The role of emotions and negativity

The Asian disease problem (ADP), as a demonstration of the framing effect, revealed a preference reversal between options perceived as risky and those perceived as certain. This research identifies individuals' involvement level as a moderator of the framing effect. The framing effect in the ADP consisted of emotional choice outcomes regarding human lives. Two studies in this paper demonstrate that when based on emotional choices, the framing effect in high involvement conditions increases in size. Interestingly, this influence of involvement reverses when the framing effect is based on rational choices. The studies reveal that the negativity invoked by the certain loss option is instrumental in the underlying mechanism of the risky choice framing effect, such as that demonstrated by the ADP. Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microfoundations of institutional change: Contrasting institutional sabotage to entrepreneurship

This paper addresses little understood microfoundations of institutionally driven organizational change and utilizes an institutional‐conflict‐based approach to examine innovation in organizational forms. Using a two‐case comparative analysis, we longitudinally examine the antecedents, mechanisms, and success/failure of attempts at change by institutional entrepreneurs. We analyze and develop theoretical insights on the interplay between internal political processes and external competitive actions in the creation of innovation in organizational forms and the subsequent legitimacy struggles through which an organizational field evolves in a sports (cricket) business context. We draw implications for institutional actors by observing patterns in organizational and institutional evolution in such contexts. We contribute to institutional entrepreneurship literature by developing a nuanced process model of success and failure in institutional entrepreneurship. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unpacking the effect of exploration during environmental uncertainty: Evidence from the information technology sector

Environmental uncertainty can render managerial decision‐making about resource deployment particularly difficult. Integrating the knowledge‐based view of the firm and the organizational learning literature, we make a case for deploying specific knowledge‐based resources to cope with specific types of environmental uncertainty. We unbundle knowledge‐based resources into technology‐based and social‐network‐based resources and, using Milliken's (1987) typology of environmental uncertainty, we hypothesize that (a) technological exploration will be more effective during state uncertainty and (b) while being generally beneficial, social exploration will prove more effective during response uncertainty. An analysis of the financial performance of information technology (IT) firms in the United States over the period 1995–2004 generally supports our hypotheses. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ethical Pressure, Organizational-Professional Conflict, and Related Work Outcomes among Management Accountants

This study examines the effects of ethical pressure on management accountants' perceptions of organizational-professional conflict, and related work outcomes. It was hypothesized that organizational pressure to engage in unethical behavior would increase perceived organizational-professional conflict, and that this perceived conflict would reduce organizational commitment and job satisfaction, and increase the likelihood of employee turnover. A survey was mailed to a random sample of Certified Management Accountants to assess perceptions of the relevant variables. The results of a structural equations model indicated that, as hypothesized, ethical pressure was associated with higher levels of perceived organizational-professional conflict. Also as hypothesized, higher levels of conflict were associated with lower levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Finally, lower levels of commitment and satisfaction were associated with higher turnover intentions.