Jennifer J. Kish-Gephart

Un)Ethical Behavior in Organizations

This review spotlights research related to ethical and unethical behavior in organizations. It builds on previous reviews and meta-analyses of the literature on (un)ethical behavior in organizations and discusses recent advances in the field. The review emphasizes how this research speaks to the influence of the organizational context on (un)ethical behavior, proceeding from a more macro to a more micro view on (un)ethical behavior and covering ethical infrastructures, interpersonal influences, individual differences, and cognitive and affective processes. The conclusion highlights opportunities for future research.

Blind forces: Ethical infrastructures and moral disengagement in organizations

This review integrates research regarding organizations’ ethical infrastructure and moral disengagement to illustrate the complicated relationship between these constructs. We argue that employee perceptions of strong ethical infrastructures may reduce individuals’ tendencies to rationalize and engage in clearly self-interested unethical behaviors, but might motivate moral disengagement about other behaviors by tapping into members’ desires to preserve a positive self-image and reduce cognitive burden. This research builds upon scholars’ understanding that “good” people can be morally blind and engage in unsavory acts without awareness of the unethical nature of their actions, and suggests that even in organizations with formal and informal systems prioritizing ethics, unethical decisions and behaviors may be rationalized and go unnoticed. Finally, we discuss theoretical and methodological implications—notably that scholars should be concerned about conclusions drawn from employee perceptions about the ethicality of the organizational context, and supplement perceptual measures with direct observation and more objective assessment.

Identity Work by First-Generation College Students to Counteract Class-Based Microaggressions:

Using an interactional approach to studying organizations, we explore how social class differences alone and coupled with racial minority status generate identity threats for first-generation college students who are already underprivileged with respect to educational attainment. For these students the markers of social class are omnipresent and, like racial minorities, they experience microaggressions that require them to engage in identity work to counter these threats. We detail manifestations of social class differences on and off campus and identify the kinds of microaggressions these students encounter including those generated by the intersection of race and class that can destabilize students’ identities and lead to what we refer to as “identity collapse.” Our results also reveal four types of identity work including mining core identity strength, passing (via dodging and code switching), and developing peer support networks that allow some first-generation students to be resilient in responding to identity threats. We consider the implications of this class work for first-to-college students and offer suggestions for future research that expands our work to workplace organizations and inquires about the potential lasting effects of social class stigma.

Social class & risk preferences and behavior

This paper reviews recent work regarding the link between ones societal ranking (or social class), and risk preferences and behavior. While the topic of social class and its relationship to risk has been studied only tentatively in psychology, preliminary evidence suggests that experiences with rank, access to resources, and movement between classes have a meaningful impact on peoples risk preferences and behaviors. Yet, a clear pattern of results remains elusive. Some studies suggest that lower social class standing is related to risk aversion, while others suggest it is related to risk taking. These mixed results highlight the need for future research that examines when and why lower social class standing is related to more or less risky decisions. By shedding light on this important phenomenon, the hope is to offer intervention opportunities that influence policies and mitigate inequality.

Peeling Back the Layers: Social Class and Inequality at Work

In the face of increasing inequality in America, interest in the topic of social class is on the rise. Social class not only influences peoples life circumstances (such as educational attainment and long-term health), but it also has far-reaching implications on peoples perceptions, decisions, and behavior, and experiences and interactions in the workplace. In this symposium, we bring together papers that address the role of social class in workplace interactions, including the ways in which experiences with social class influence and are influenced by organizations. Overall, we aim to increase awareness of this topic for organizational researchers, and to stimulate connections and critical conversations that will motivate future research developments and exploration of the many layers of social class within organizations. Interdependent Teams Promote Greater Person-Team Fit and Performance Among Working-Class Individuals Presenter: Andrea Dittmann; Northwestern U. Presenter: Nicole Stephens; Northweste...

An interactionist model of punishment severity: The effects of moral intensity and moral identity

Business ethics researchers have long focused on identifying the individual and situational antecedents of organizational misconduct. More recently, researchers have begun to investigate what happe...

Information Seeking Preferences of Individuals in Ethical Decision Making

Using a two-wave scenario-based survey design, we examine how information seeking preferences of organizational members change when they recognize the ethical content of strategic decisions facing ...