David T. Welsh

The slippery slope: how small ethical transgressions pave the way for larger future transgressions.

Many recent corporate scandals have been described as resulting from a slippery slope in which a series of small infractions gradually increased over time (e.g., McLean & Elkind, 2003). However, behavioral ethics research has rarely considered how unethical behavior unfolds over time. In this study, we draw on theories of self-regulation to examine whether individuals engage in a slippery slope of increasingly unethical behavior. First, we extend Banduras (1991, 1999) social-cognitive theory by demonstrating how the mechanism of moral disengagement can reduce ethicality over a series of gradually increasing indiscretions. Second, we draw from recent research connecting regulatory focus theory and behavioral ethics (Gino & Margolis, 2011) to demonstrate that inducing a prevention focus moderates this mediated relationship by reducing ones propensity to slide down the slippery slope. We find support for the developed model across 4 multiround studies.

Building a self-regulatory model of sleep deprivation and deception: the role of caffeine and social influence.

Employees are getting less sleep, which has been shown to deplete self-regulatory resources and increase unethical behavior (Barnes, Schaubroeck, Huth, & Ghumman, 2011; Christian & Ellis, 2011). In this study, we extend the original mediated model by examining the role of 2 moderators in the relationship between sleep deprivation, depletion, and deceptive behavior. First, we derive psychological arguments from the psychopharmacology literature to hypothesize that caffeine moderates the relationship between sleep deprivation and depletion by replenishing self-regulatory resources. Second, we draw from recent research in social psychology to hypothesize that social influence moderates the relationship between depletion and deceptive behavior, such that depleted individuals are less able to resist the negative influence of others. Results of a laboratory study provide support for our expanded model combining mediation and moderation, adding to our understanding of the role of sleep deprivation in the incidence of workplace deception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Surveying for "artifacts": the susceptibility of the OCB-performance evaluation relationship to common rater, item, and measurement context effects.

Despite the increased attention paid to biases attributable to common method variance (CMV) over the past 50 years, researchers have only recently begun to systematically examine the effect of specific sources of CMV in previously published empirical studies. Our study contributes to this research by examining the extent to which common rater, item, and measurement context characteristics bias the relationships between organizational citizenship behaviors and performance evaluations using a mixed-effects analytic technique. Results from 173 correlations reported in 81 empirical studies (N = 31,146) indicate that even after controlling for study-level factors, common rater and anchor point number similarity substantially biased the focal correlations. Indeed, these sources of CMV (a) led to estimates that were between 60% and 96% larger when comparing measures obtained from a common rater, versus different raters; (b) led to 39% larger estimates when a common source rated the scales using the same number, versus a different number, of anchor points; and (c) when taken together with other study-level predictors, accounted for over half of the between-study variance in the focal correlations. We discuss the implications for researchers and practitioners and provide recommendations for future research.

Too many sheep in the flock? Span of control attenuates the influence of ethical leadership.

There has been growing interest in ethical leadership from both scholars and practitioners because of the positive effects that ethical leaders can have on their subordinates. These benefits come not only from ethical leaders acting as moral exemplars, but also from the tendency for ethical leaders to forge high-quality social exchange relationships with subordinates that help to establish expectations for appropriate conduct and ensure accountability through reciprocal obligation. However, the act of developing and maintaining strong social exchange relationships is resource intensive and requires considerable personal investment from ethical leaders. Extending current theory, we propose that wider spans of control attenuate the positive relationship between ethical leadership and leader-member exchange (LMX). Across two organizational samples, we developed and tested a moderated mediation model in which the effects of ethical leadership on performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and reduced production deviance via LMX were weakened by a widened span of control. Results in both studies supported the hypothesized model. Although it may be tempting to increase the number of subordinates assigned to ethical leaders in an effort to maximize their positive impact, the current findings suggest that the benefits of ethical leadership are diminished as span of control widens.

RACISM AND THE LAW: SLAVERY, INTEGRATION, AND MODERN RESEGREGATION IN AMERICA

“The destinies of the two races in this country are indissolubly linked together, and the interests of both require that the common government of all shall not permit the seeds of race hate to be planted under the sanction of law,” declared Justice Harlan in his ringing dissent to Plessy v. Ferguson. Yet in 1896, his vision of a “colorblind” America was marred by centuries of racism and prejudice. Similarly, despite lofty ideals, the Supreme Court’s historical treatment of African Americans in the United States stands in sharp contrast to the declaration that all are created equal. “Other racial injustices in this nation’s history are grave, but are different in part because the injuries were less fundamentally legal in nature.” Nevertheless, the Court in Brown v. Board of Education “did what, until 1954, neither the presidents nor the Congress could or would do” by abolishing government-imposed racial segregation. Today, the Court continues to struggle with this mandate as demographic and economic factors contribute to the resegregation of neighborhoods and schools. Professor Lynette L. Danley’s The Diary of M.A.D. Black Mama: The Blessings of Reality, gives a vivid illustration of how racism and the law continue to impact America. This paper will introduce Professor Danley’s monologue by