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Ethical Decision Making and Leadership: Merging Social Role and Self-Construal Perspectives

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  • Crystal Hoyt
  • Terry Price

Abstract

This research extends our understanding of ethical decision making on the part of leaders by merging social role and self-construal perspectives. Interdependent self-construal is generally seen as enhancing concern for justice and moral values. Across two studies, we tested the prediction that non-leading group members’ interdependent self-construal would be associated with lower levels of unethical decision making on behalf of their group but that, in contrast, this relationship would be weaker for leaders, given their social role. These predictions were experimentally tested by assigning participants to the role of leader or non-leading group member, and assessing the association between their interdependent self-construal and their unethical decision making. Across both studies, interdependence predicted less unethical decision making on behalf of one’s group for non-leading group members. However, the leader role was shown to weaken, and even reverse, this relationship. This research demonstrates that self-construal influences group-based ethical decision making, but that the nature of this influence is moderated by social role. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Crystal Hoyt & Terry Price, 2015. "Ethical Decision Making and Leadership: Merging Social Role and Self-Construal Perspectives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(4), pages 531-539, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:126:y:2015:i:4:p:531-539
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1974-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Irina Cojuharenco & Garriy Shteynberg & Michele Gelfand & Marshall Schminke, 2012. "Self-Construal and Unethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 447-461, September.
    2. Brockner, Joel & De Cremer, David & van den Bos, Kees & Chen, Ya-Ru, 2005. "The influence of interdependent self-construal on procedural fairness effects," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 155-167, March.
    3. Wiltermuth, Scott S., 2011. "Cheating more when the spoils are split," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 157-168, July.
    4. Fehr, Ryan & Gelfand, Michele J., 2010. "When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims' self-construals facilitates forgiveness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 37-50, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Brinkmann, 2019. "The Potential Use of Sociological Perspectives for Business Ethics Teaching," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 273-287, April.
    2. Junya Cai & Taiwen Feng & Wenbo Jiang & Jiapei Li, 2017. "Is Customer Orientation of Employees Sustainable? A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-9, July.
    3. Zhimei Zang & Xiaoyan Wang & Hairu Yang & Chuanming Chen, 2022. "“Be myself” or “Be friends”? Exploring the mechanism between self-construal and sales performance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(1), pages 82-105, February.

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