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The Effects of Spirituality and Moral Intensity on Ethical Business Decisions: A Cross-Sectional Study

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  • Stephen E. Anderson

    (Entrematic)

  • Jodine M. Burchell

    (Columbia Southern University)

Abstract

We present a cross-sectional study of ethical decision-making correlated with spirituality and utilizing moral intensity as a moderator for workers in the Southeastern United States (N = 117). This study presents spirituality as an individual variable and moral intensity as a situational variable along with ethical decision-making to examine the interaction of these factors in moral dilemmas. Utilizing previously validated instruments for ethical decision-making and individual spirituality, we find that workers with relatively high measured spirituality made less ethical decisions compared to workers with relatively lower measures of spirituality. Further, we find that the introduction of high moral intensity as a situational variable does not moderate the observed correlation between spirituality and ethical decision-making. This research supports the conceptual nature of the Interactionist Theory by presenting in a single study both individual and situational variables in ethical decision-making.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen E. Anderson & Jodine M. Burchell, 2021. "The Effects of Spirituality and Moral Intensity on Ethical Business Decisions: A Cross-Sectional Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 137-149, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:168:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04258-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04258-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Stuart Allen & Louis W. Fry, 2023. "A Framework for Leader, Spiritual, and Moral Development," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(3), pages 649-663, May.
    2. Darryl B. Rice & Regina M. Taylor & Yiding Wang & Sijing Wei & Valentina Ge, 2023. "My Company Cares About My Success…I Think: Clarifying Why and When a Firm’s Ethical Reputation Impacts Employees’ Subjective Career Success," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 159-177, August.
    3. Arindam Das & Dimple Grover, 2022. "Ethical climates in South Asian Organizations: empirical findings from India," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(6), pages 1-26, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethical decision-making; Spirituality; Moral intensity; Interactionist theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G40 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - General
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets

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