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Spread of Unethical Behavior in Organizations: A Dynamic Social Network Perspective

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  • Franziska Zuber

Abstract

The spread of unethical behavior in organizations has mainly been studied in terms of processes occurring in a general social context, rather than in terms of actors’ reactions in the context of their specific social relationships. This paper introduces a dynamic social network analysis framework in which this spread is conceptualized as the result of the reactions of perpetrators, victims, and observers to an initial act of unethical behavior. This theoretical framework shows that the social relationships of the actors involved in an initial act impact in multiple ways the likelihood that unethical behavior spreads. It reveals furthermore that social relationships may change in the wake of unethical behavior, such that indirect negative consequences can arise for organizations. The proposed framework provides a basis for the development of a formal stochastic actor-oriented model of network dynamics which would enable simulations of the spread of unethical behavior. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Franziska Zuber, 2015. "Spread of Unethical Behavior in Organizations: A Dynamic Social Network Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 151-172, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:131:y:2015:i:1:p:151-172
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2270-0
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    2. Qi Yang & Yuejuan Hou & Haoran Wei & Tingqiang Chen & Jining Wang, 2022. "Nonlinear Diffusion Evolution Model of Unethical Behavior among Green Food Enterprise," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, December.
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    4. Aneka Fahima Sufi & Usman Raja & Arif Nazir Butt, 2024. "Impact of Peer Unethical Behaviors on Employee Silence: The Role of Organizational Identification and Emotions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(4), pages 821-839, April.
    5. Kalina Grzesiuk, 2016. "Unethical Behaviour of Organisations from a Social Network Perspective. A Literature Review," Annales. Ethics in Economic Life, University of Lodz, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, vol. 19(4), pages 23-37, December.
    6. Vincent Rousseau & Caroline Aubé, 2018. "When Leaders Stifle Innovation in Work Teams: The Role of Abusive Supervision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 651-664, September.
    7. Duanxu Wang & Xin Pi & Yuhao Pan, 2017. "The interpersonal diffusion mechanism of unethical behavior in groups: a social network perspective," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 271-292, June.
    8. Andiappan, Meena & Dufour, Lucas, 2021. "The evolution of unethical behavior engagement amongst longshoremen in France: A 70-year perspective," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 49-67.

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