IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jobhdp/v168y2022ics0749597821001060.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Better now than later: The social cost of victims’ delayed accusations

Author

Listed:
  • Raj, Medha
  • Wiltermuth, Scott S.

Abstract

Victims of many types of transgressions may delay voicing accusations of wrongdoing. Across seven studies and a within-paper meta-analysis, we examine whether these victims pay a social cost and, if so, how they can reduce it. We find that people perceive victims who delay (vs. do not delay) voicing accusations to have less psychological standing to accuse their transgressors. People therefore perceive such victims as lacking in integrity-based trustworthiness and, often, in benevolence-based trustworthiness as well. People consequently report greater intentions to avoid such victims, trust them less in an economic game with money at stake, and are less willing to hire them. The findings collectively highlight the difficulty that victims face in moving from silence to voice. We further draw on the triangle model of excuses (e.g., Schlenker, 1997) to identify attributions that attenuate the social cost of victims’ delayed accusations.

Suggested Citation

  • Raj, Medha & Wiltermuth, Scott S., 2022. "Better now than later: The social cost of victims’ delayed accusations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:168:y:2022:i:c:s0749597821001060
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2021.104110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597821001060
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.obhdp.2021.104110?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. Elad N. Sherf & Subrahmaniam Tangirala & Katy Connealy Weber, 2017. "It Is Not My Place! Psychological Standing and Men’s Voice and Participation in Gender-Parity Initiatives," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 193-210, April.
    2. Frances J. Milliken & Elizabeth W. Morrison & Patricia F. Hewlin, 2003. "An Exploratory Study of Employee Silence: Issues that Employees Don’t Communicate Upward and Why," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1453-1476, September.
    3. Kristina A. Diekmann & Sheli D. Sillito Walker & Adam D. Galinsky & Ann E. Tenbrunsel, 2013. "Double Victimization in the Workplace: Why Observers Condemn Passive Victims of Sexual Harassment," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 614-628, April.
    4. Jane E. Dutton & Susan J. Ashford & Regina M. O’ Neill & Erika Hayes & Elizabeth E. Wierba, 1997. "Reading the wind: how middle managers assess the context for selling issues to top managers," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(5), pages 407-423, May.
    5. Kennedy, Jessica A. & Schweitzer, Maurice E., 2018. "Building trust by tearing others down: When accusing others of unethical behavior engenders trust," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 111-128.
    6. Effron, Daniel A. & Miller, Dale T., 2015. "Do as I say, not as I’ve done: Suffering for a misdeed reduces the hypocrisy of advising others against it," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 16-32.
    7. repec:bla:jomstd:v:40:y:2003:i:6:p:1353-1358 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. James R. Detert & Linda K. Treviño, 2010. "Speaking Up to Higher-Ups: How Supervisors and Skip-Level Leaders Influence Employee Voice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 249-270, February.
    9. Brian Klaas & Anna-Katherine Ward, 2015. "Formal, Justice-Oriented Voice in the Nonunion Firm: Who Speaks Up and When?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 321-356, April.
    10. Amy C. Edmondson, 2003. "Speaking Up in the Operating Room: How Team Leaders Promote Learning in Interdisciplinary Action Teams," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1419-1452, September.
    11. Kim, Peter H. & Cooper, Cecily D. & Dirks, Kurt T. & Ferrin, Donald L., 2013. "Repairing trust with individuals vs. groups," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 120(1), pages 1-14.
    12. Berg Joyce & Dickhaut John & McCabe Kevin, 1995. "Trust, Reciprocity, and Social History," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 122-142, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kennedy, Jessica A. & Schweitzer, Maurice E., 2018. "Building trust by tearing others down: When accusing others of unethical behavior engenders trust," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 111-128.
    2. Anna Paolillo & Jorge Sinval & Sílvia A. Silva & Vittorio E. Scuderi, 2021. "The Relationship between Inclusion Climate and Voice Behaviors beyond Social Exchange Obligation: The Role of Psychological Needs Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    3. Maynes, Timothy D. & Podsakoff, Philip M. & Podsakoff, Nathan P. & Yoo, Amber N., 2024. "Harnessing the power of employee voice for individual and organizational effectiveness," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 283-298.
    4. James R. Detert & Linda K. Treviño, 2010. "Speaking Up to Higher-Ups: How Supervisors and Skip-Level Leaders Influence Employee Voice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 249-270, February.
    5. Florian M. Artinger & Sabrina Artinger & Gerd Gigerenzer, 2019. "C. Y. A.: frequency and causes of defensive decisions in public administration," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 9-25, April.
    6. Xue Tong Dong & Yang Woon Chung & Jeong Kwon Yun, 2023. "The Mediating Effects of Anxiety and Happiness and the Moderating Effect of Social Network Services for Employee Silence and Psychological Withdrawal Behavior," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    7. Chin-Yi Shu & Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh, 2015. "Guan-Xi, Loyalty, Contribution And ‘Speak-Up Behavior: The Role of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) as Mediator and Political Skill as Moderator," Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, Eurasian Publications, vol. 3(2), pages 54-73.
    8. Muhammad Umer Azeem & Inam Ul Haq & Dirk Clercq & Cong Liu, 2024. "Why and When Do Employees Feel Guilty About Observing Supervisor Ostracism? The Critical Roles of Observers’ Silence Behavior and Leader–Member Exchange Quality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(2), pages 317-334, October.
    9. Şebnem Yazıcı & Mustafa Özgenel & Mehmet Hilmi Koç & Fatih Baydar, 2022. "The Mediator Role of Employee Voice in the Effect of Agile Leadership on Teachers’ Affective Occupational Commitment," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, August.
    10. Teresa Galanti, 2021. "Risk Management and Learning Climate in Emergency Contexts: A Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-13, May.
    11. Li-Yueh Lee & Veasna Sou, 2013. "The Antecedents of Innovation Climate: Cross-Level Mediation Perspectives," Diversity, Technology, and Innovation for Operational Competitiveness: Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Technology Innovation and Industrial Management,, ToKnowPress.
    12. Andrea Furlan & Ambra Galeazzo & Adriano Paggiaro, 2019. "Organizational and Perceived Learning in the Workplace: A Multilevel Perspective on Employees’ Problem Solving," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(2), pages 280-297, March.
    13. Wageeh A. Nafei, 2016. "Organizational Silence: Its Destroying Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(5), pages 57-75, May.
    14. Jeong Won Lee, 2023. "Exploring the Work-Life Spillover of Voice Practices: The Role of Voice Instrumentality in Improving the Quality of Employees’ Lives," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 2011-2033, August.
    15. Markus Reitzig & Boris Maciejovsky, 2015. "Corporate hierarchy and vertical information flow inside the firm—a behavioral view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(13), pages 1979-1999, December.
    16. Yunyue Yang & Jie Li & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 0. "How supervisors respond to employee voice: an experimental study in China and Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-31.
    17. Ye, Qingyan & Wang, Duanxu & Guo, Weixiao, 2019. "Inclusive leadership and team innovation: The role of team voice and performance pressure," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 468-480.
    18. Hui Li & Nazir Sajjad & Qun Wang & Asadullah Muhammad Ali & Zeb Khaqan & Shafi Amina, 2019. "Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Innovative Work Behavior in Sustainable Organizations: Test of Mediation and Moderation Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Gazzoli, Gabriel & Shabazz, Siddeeq M. & Arnold, Todd J. & Kim, Peter B., 2023. "Why do frontline employees speak up on behalf of customers? The influence of supervisors versus coworkers and the role of intrapersonal factors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    20. Halime GOKTAS KULUALP, 2016. "Calisan Sesliligi ile Bazi Kisisel ve Orgutsel Ozellikler Arasindaki Iliskinin Belirlenmesi: Ogretim Elemanlari Uzerine Bir Arastirma," Ege Academic Review, Ege University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, vol. 16(4), pages 745-761.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eee:jobhdp:v:168:y:2022:i:c:s0749597821001060. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/obhdp .

    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.