TY - JOUR
T1 - When organizational identification elicits moral decision-making
T2 - a matter of the right climate
AU - van Gils, Suzanne
AU - Hogg, Michael A.
AU - Van Quaquebeke, Niels
AU - van Knippenberg, Daan
PY - 2017/4
Y1 - 2017/4
N2 - To advance current knowledge on ethical decision-making in organizations, we integrate two perspectives that have thus far developed independently: the organizational identification perspective and the ethical climate perspective. We illustrate the interaction between these perspectives in two studies (Study 1, N = 144, US sample; and Study 2, N = 356, UK sample), in which we presented participants with moral business dilemmas. Specifically, we found that organizational identification increased moral decision-making only when the organization's climate was perceived to be ethical. In addition, we disentangle this effect in Study 2 from participants' moral identity. We argue that the interactive influence of organizational identification and ethical climate, rather than the independent influence of either of these perspectives, is crucial for understanding moral decision-making in organizations.
AB - To advance current knowledge on ethical decision-making in organizations, we integrate two perspectives that have thus far developed independently: the organizational identification perspective and the ethical climate perspective. We illustrate the interaction between these perspectives in two studies (Study 1, N = 144, US sample; and Study 2, N = 356, UK sample), in which we presented participants with moral business dilemmas. Specifically, we found that organizational identification increased moral decision-making only when the organization's climate was perceived to be ethical. In addition, we disentangle this effect in Study 2 from participants' moral identity. We argue that the interactive influence of organizational identification and ethical climate, rather than the independent influence of either of these perspectives, is crucial for understanding moral decision-making in organizations.
KW - Organizational identification
KW - Ethical climate
KW - Moral decision-making
KW - Moral identity
U2 - 10.1007/s10551-015-2784-0
DO - 10.1007/s10551-015-2784-0
M3 - Article
SN - 0167-4544
VL - 142
SP - 155
EP - 168
JO - Journal of Business Ethics
JF - Journal of Business Ethics
IS - 1
ER -