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Lying, Deceit, and Subterfuge: A Model of Dishonesty in the Workplace

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  • Steven L. Grover

    (School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405)

Abstract

Honesty is a key element of ethical behavior in organizations, yet has received little theoretical or empirical attention. This article derives a model of the antecedents of deception in organizations. Self-interest theories, such as agency theory, and prosocial behavior theories of behavior are reviewed and an argument developed that intrapersonal conflict may meld the divergent theories and explain lying in organizations. Role theory identifies potential sources of intrapersonal conflict in organizations that may serve as antecedents to lying. Different types of role conflict are examined, each of which may lead to distress, and, in turn, may be resolved through deception: People may behave according to one role demand, and then state, or create the impression of, having behaved according to another role demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven L. Grover, 1993. "Lying, Deceit, and Subterfuge: A Model of Dishonesty in the Workplace," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(3), pages 478-495, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:4:y:1993:i:3:p:478-495
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.4.3.478
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    Cited by:

    1. Rong-Tsu Wang, 2013. "Modeling Corporate Social Performance and Job Pursuit Intention: Mediating Mechanisms of Corporate Reputation and Job Advancement Prospects," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 569-582, October.
    2. Gill, David & Prowse, Victoria & Vlassopoulos, Michael, 2013. "Cheating in the workplace: An experimental study of the impact of bonuses and productivity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 120-134.
    3. Wiltermuth, Scott S. & Bennett, Victor M. & Pierce, Lamar, 2013. "Doing as they would do: How the perceived ethical preferences of third-party beneficiaries impact ethical decision-making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 280-290.
    4. L. Kent Marett & Joey F. George, 2004. "Deception in the Case of One Sender and Multiple Receivers," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 29-44, January.
    5. Chieh-Peng Lin & Yuan-Hui Tsai & Sheng-Wuu Joe & Chou-Kang Chiu, 2012. "Modeling the Relationship Among Perceived Corporate Citizenship, Firms’ Attractiveness, and Career Success Expectation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(1), pages 83-93, January.
    6. Marian Eabrasu, 2020. "Cheating in Business: A Metaethical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 519-532, March.
    7. Marco Meyer & Chun Wei Choo, 2024. "Harming by Deceit: Epistemic Malevolence and Organizational Wrongdoing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 439-452, January.
    8. Adam Barsky, 2011. "Investigating the Effects of Moral Disengagement and Participation on Unethical Work Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(1), pages 59-75, November.
    9. Benjamin Edelman & Ian Larkin, 2015. "Social Comparisons and Deception Across Workplace Hierarchies: Field and Experimental Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(1), pages 78-98, February.
    10. McKinley, William & Ponemon, Lawrence A. & Schick, Allen G., 1996. "Auditors' perceptions of client firms: The stigma of decline and the stigma of growth," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 193-213.
    11. Octavian RUJOIU & Valentina RUJOIU, 2014. "Academic Dishonesty And Workplace Dishonesty. An Overview," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 8(1), pages 928-938, November.
    12. Danielle E. Warren & Maurice E. Schweitzer, 2018. "When Lying Does Not Pay: How Experts Detect Insurance Fraud," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 711-726, July.
    13. Joseph P. Gaspar & Redona Methasani & Maurice E. Schweitzer, 2022. "Emotional Intelligence and Deception: A Theoretical Model and Propositions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(3), pages 567-584, May.
    14. Kovic, Marko & Rauchfleisch, Adrian & Sele, Marc & Caspar, Christian, 2016. "Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures," SocArXiv 7ucsh, Center for Open Science.
    15. Peter Fleming & Stelios C. Zyglidopoulos, 2008. "The Escalation of Deception in Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(4), pages 837-850, September.
    16. John R. Carlson & Joey F. George & Judee K. Burgoon & Mark Adkins & Cindy H. White, 2004. "Deception in Computer-Mediated Communication," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 5-28, January.
    17. Joseph P. Gaspar & Maurice E. Schweitzer, 2021. "Confident and Cunning: Negotiator Self-Efficacy Promotes Deception in Negotiations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 139-155, June.

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