IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v157y2019i3d10.1007_s10551-017-3683-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Will Creative Employees Always Make Trouble? Investigating the Roles of Moral Identity and Moral Disengagement

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoming Zheng

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Xin Qin

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Xin Liu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Hui Liao

    (University of Maryland)

Abstract

Recent research has uncovered the dark side of creativity by finding that creative individuals are more likely to engage in unethical behavior. However, we argue that not all creative individuals make trouble. Using moral self-regulation theory as our overarching theoretical framework, we examine individuals’ moral identity as a boundary condition and moral disengagement as a mediating mechanism to explain when and how individual creativity is associated with workplace deviant behavior. We conducted two field studies using multi-source data to test our hypotheses. In Study 1, the results indicated that creativity positively predicted moral disengagement for those low in moral identity. In Study 2 with multi-wave data, we replicated the finding that moral identity moderated the effect of creativity on moral disengagement in Study 1 and further revealed that moral disengagement mediated the interactive effects of creativity and moral identity on workplace deviant behavior. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoming Zheng & Xin Qin & Xin Liu & Hui Liao, 2019. "Will Creative Employees Always Make Trouble? Investigating the Roles of Moral Identity and Moral Disengagement," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 653-672, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:157:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3683-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3683-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-017-3683-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-017-3683-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Franziska Zuber & Muel Kaptein, 2014. "Painting with the Same Brush? Surveying Unethical Behavior in the Workplace Using Self-Reports and Observer-Reports," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 401-432, December.
    2. Chua, Roy Y.J. & Morris, Michael W. & Mor, Shira, 2012. "Collaborating across cultures: Cultural metacognition and affect-based trust in creative collaboration," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 118(2), pages 116-131.
    3. Morris, Michael W. & Leung, Kwok, 2010. "Creativity East and West: Perspectives and Parallels," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(3), pages 313-327, November.
    4. Melissa Baucus & William Norton & David Baucus & Sherrie Human, 2008. "Fostering Creativity and Innovation without Encouraging Unethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(1), pages 97-115, August.
    5. Venkat Krishnan, 2008. "Impact of MBA Education on Students’ Values: Two Longitudinal Studies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(2), pages 233-246, December.
    6. Jennifer Kish-Gephart & James Detert & Linda Treviño & Vicki Baker & Sean Martin, 2014. "Situational Moral Disengagement: Can the Effects of Self-Interest be Mitigated?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 267-285, December.
    7. Q. Miao & A. Newman & J. Yu & L. Xu, 2013. "The Relationship Between Ethical Leadership and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Linear or Curvilinear Effects?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 641-653, September.
    8. Rajagopal, 2014. "Organizations and Innovation," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 3, pages 58-86, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Elizabeth E. Umphress & John B. Bingham, 2011. "When Employees Do Bad Things for Good Reasons: Examining Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 621-640, June.
    10. Laurie Barclay & David Whiteside & Karl Aquino, 2014. "To Avenge or Not to Avenge? Exploring the Interactive Effects of Moral Identity and the Negative Reciprocity Norm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 15-28, April.
    11. Shalvi, Shaul & Dana, Jason & Handgraaf, Michel J.J. & De Dreu, Carsten K.W., 2011. "Justified ethicality: Observing desired counterfactuals modifies ethical perceptions and behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 181-190, July.
    12. Schweitzer, Maurice E & Hsee, Christopher K, 2002. "Stretching the Truth: Elastic Justification and Motivated Communication of Uncertain Information," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 185-201, September.
    13. Bandura, Albert, 1991. "Social cognitive theory of self-regulation," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 248-287, December.
    14. Roberta Fida & Marinella Paciello & Carlo Tramontano & Reid Fontaine & Claudio Barbaranelli & Maria Farnese, 2015. "An Integrative Approach to Understanding Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Roles of Stressors, Negative Emotions, and Moral Disengagement," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(1), pages 131-144, August.
    15. Anke Arnaud & Marshall Schminke, 2012. "The Ethical Climate and Context of Organizations: A Comprehensive Model," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(6), pages 1767-1780, December.
    16. Gino, Francesca & Schweitzer, Maurice E. & Mead, Nicole L. & Ariely, Dan, 2011. "Unable to resist temptation: How self-control depletion promotes unethical behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 191-203, July.
    17. Reynolds, Scott J. & Dang, Carolyn T. & Yam, Kai Chi & Leavitt, Keith, 2014. "The role of moral knowledge in everyday immorality: What does it matter if I know what is right?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 124-137.
    18. Marvin Claybourn, 2011. "Relationships Between Moral Disengagement, Work Characteristics and Workplace Harassment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(2), pages 283-301, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mai Chi Vu & Nicholas Burton, 2022. "Bring Your Non-self to Work? The Interaction Between Self-decentralization and Moral Reasoning," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(2), pages 427-449, November.
    2. Tan, Yuxuan & Gong, Yanping & Xie, Julan & Li, Jian & Liu, Yongdan, 2022. "More mindfulness, less conspicuous consumption? Evidence from middle-aged Chinese consumers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Zeng, Pan & Wang, Pengcheng & Nie, Jia & Ouyang, Mingkun & Lei, Li, 2020. "Gratitude and cyberbullying perpetration: The mediating role of self-compassion and moral disengagement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Xin Liu & Byron Y. Lee & Tae-Yeol Kim & Yaping Gong & Xiaoming Zheng, 2023. "Double-Edged Effects of Creative Personality on Moral Disengagement and Unethical Behaviors: Dual Motivational Mechanisms and a Situational Contingency," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(2), pages 449-466, June.
    5. Gabi Eissa & Scott W. Lester, 2022. "A Moral Disengagement Investigation of How and When Supervisor Psychological Entitlement Instigates Abusive Supervision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 675-694, October.
    6. Yue Yuan & Qi Zhang & Mengxi Yang, 2023. "Such a high cost: the positive effect of leader humor on employee incivility via psychological safety," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 529-548, April.
    7. Hongyu Zhang & Xin Lucy Liu & Yahua Cai & Xiuli Sun, 2023. "Paved with Good Intentions: Self-regulation Breakdown After Altruistic Ethical Transgression," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 385-405, August.
    8. Ulf Schaefer & Onno Bouwmeester, 2021. "Reconceptualizing Moral Disengagement as a Process: Transcending Overly Liberal and Overly Conservative Practice in the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 525-543, September.
    9. Nicholas Burton & Mai Chi Vu, 2021. "Moral Identity and the Quaker tradition: Moral Dissonance Negotiation in the WorkPlace," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 127-141, November.
    10. Ervin L. Black & F. Greg Burton & Joshua K. Cieslewicz, 2022. "Improving Ethics: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior to Include Moral Disengagement," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(4), pages 945-978, December.
    11. Qiqi Wang & Xueling Fan & Jun Liu & Wenjing Cai, 2023. "Does a Help Giver Seek the Help from Others? The Consistency and Licensing Mechanisms and the Role of Leader Respect," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(3), pages 605-626, May.
    12. Foulk, Trevor A. & Venkataramani, Vijaya & Cao, Rujiao & Krishnan, Satish, 2022. "Thinking outside the box helps build social connections: The role of creative mindsets in reducing daily rudeness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    13. Lijing Zhao & Long W. Lam & Julie N. Y. Zhu & Shuming Zhao, 2022. "Doing It Purposely? Mediation of Moral Disengagement in the Relationship Between Illegitimate Tasks and Counterproductive Work Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(3), pages 733-747, September.
    14. Chenqian Xu & Zhu Yao & Zhengde Xiong, 2023. "The Impact of Work-Related Use of Information and Communication Technologies After Hours on Time Theft," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(1), pages 185-198, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhu Yao & Jinlian Luo & Na Fu & Xianchun Zhang & Qunchao Wan, 2022. "Rational Counterattack: The Impact of Workplace Bullying on Unethical Pro-organizational and Pro-family Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 661-682, December.
    2. Ulf Schaefer & Onno Bouwmeester, 2021. "Reconceptualizing Moral Disengagement as a Process: Transcending Overly Liberal and Overly Conservative Practice in the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 525-543, September.
    3. Alexander Newman & Huong Le & Andrea North-Samardzic & Michael Cohen, 2020. "Moral Disengagement at Work: A Review and Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 535-570, December.
    4. Lin Xu & Jigan Wang, 2020. "Influence of Challenge–Hindrance Stressors on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Mediating Role of Emotions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    5. Liu, Xin Lucy & Lu, Jackson G. & Zhang, Hongyu & Cai, Yahua, 2021. "Helping the organization but hurting yourself: How employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior predicts work-to-life conflict," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 88-100.
    6. Gino, Francesca & Ayal, Shahar & Ariely, Dan, 2013. "Self-serving altruism? The lure of unethical actions that benefit others," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 285-292.
    7. Rogers, Todd & Zeckhauser, Richard & Gino, Francesco & Schweitzer, Maurice & Norton, Mike, 2014. "Artful Paltering: The Risks and Rewards of Using Truthful Statements to Mislead Others," Working Paper Series rwp14-045, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    8. Kangmin Lee, 2020. "The Effect of Supervisor Identification on Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior: The Moderating Role of Employability Perceptions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Karen Niven & Colm Healy, 2016. "Susceptibility to the ‘Dark Side’ of Goal-Setting: Does Moral Justification Influence the Effect of Goals on Unethical Behavior?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 115-127, August.
    10. Noval, Laura J. & Molinsky, Andrew & Stahl, Günter K., 2018. "Motivated dissimilarity construal and self-serving behavior: How we distance ourselves from those we harm," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 145-158.
    11. Ni, Dan & Yang, Mengxi & Luo, Senhan & Chen, Wansi, 2024. "A third-party perspective for examining employee reactions to witnessing coworker incivility towards customers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    12. Guanxing Xiong & Huadong Huang & Yingyi Ma & Cuiqi Liang & Haixia Wang, 2021. "Abusive Supervision and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: The Mediating Role of Status Challenge and the Moderating Role of Leader–Member Exchange," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    13. Zhao, Hongdan & Zhao, Siyong & Chen, Yuanhua & Yu, Xiaoyu, 2023. "Bystanders’ reactions to leader knowledge hiding: The roles of moral disengagement and moral identity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    14. Remus Ilies & Cathy Yang Guo & Sandy Lim & Kai Chi Yam & Xinxin Li, 2020. "Happy But Uncivil? Examining When and Why Positive Affect Leads to Incivility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(4), pages 595-614, September.
    15. Thang V. Nguyen & Minh H. Doan & Nhung H. Tran, 2021. "The perpetuation of bribery–prone relationships: A study from Vietnamese public officials," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(5), pages 244-256, December.
    16. Elizabeth Sheedy & Patrick Garcia & Denise Jepsen, 2021. "The Role of Risk Climate and Ethical Self-interest Climate in Predicting Unethical Pro-organisational Behaviour," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(2), pages 281-300, October.
    17. Yan Huang & Xin Liu & Jaehyoung Kim & Sanggyun Na, 2022. "Effects of Idiosyncratic Deals, Psychological Contract, Job Satisfaction and Environmental Turbulence on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Bruno Lussier & Nathaniel N. Hartmann & Willy Bolander, 2021. "Curbing the Undesirable Effects of Emotional Exhaustion on Ethical Behaviors and Performance: A Salesperson–Manager Dyadic Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(4), pages 747-766, April.
    19. Yuval Feldman & Eliran Halali, 2019. "Regulating “Good” People in Subtle Conflicts of Interest Situations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 65-83, January.
    20. Harris, Lloyd C. & He, Hongwei, 2019. "Retail employee pilferage: A study of moral disengagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 57-68.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:157:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3683-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.