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Do bad apples do good deeds? The role of morality

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  • Jinqiang Zhu
  • Shiyong Xu

Abstract

Research on counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs) has predominantly adopted a victim‐centric approach to focus on deleterious effects on organisations while overlooking how displaying CWBs affects the employees themselves and their subsequent behaviours. Drawing on moral cleansing and moral licencing theories, we tested how and when employees’ CWBs influenced their subsequent organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) and whether OCBs affect CWBs. The results from an experimental study and a field study showed that CWBs were associated with guilt which, in turn, motivated employees to engage in more OCBs. In addition, employees with low moral relativism and high guilt‐repair proneness strengthened the link between CWBs, guilt and OCBs. We extend research on CWBs by switching focus from a victim‐centric perspective to a perpetrator‐centric perspective. In addition, we elucidate a specific mechanism and boundary conditions of moral cleansing theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinqiang Zhu & Shiyong Xu, 2022. "Do bad apples do good deeds? The role of morality," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 562-576, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:buseth:v:31:y:2022:i:2:p:562-576
    DOI: 10.1111/beer.12419
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Taya Cohen & A. Panter & Nazli Turan, 2013. "Predicting Counterproductive Work Behavior from Guilt Proneness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 45-53, April.
    2. Andreas Klein & Helfried Moosbrugger, 2000. "Maximum likelihood estimation of latent interaction effects with the LMS method," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 65(4), pages 457-474, December.
    3. Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Bucheli, Marisa & Paz Espinosa, María & García-Muñoz, Teresa, 2013. "Moral Cleansing And Moral Licenses: Experimental Evidence," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(2), pages 199-212, July.
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    1. Thomas Li‐Ping Tang & Zhen Li & Mehmet Ferhat Özbek & Vivien K. G. Lim & Thompson S. H. Teo & Mahfooz A. Ansari & Toto Sutarso & Ilya Garber & Randy Ki‐Kwan Chiu & Brigitte Charles‐Pauvers & Caroline , 2023. "Behavioral economics and monetary wisdom: A cross‐level analysis of monetary aspiration, pay (dis)satisfaction, risk perception, and corruption in 32 nations," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 925-945, July.

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