Bad Apples, Bad Cases, and Bad Barrels: Meta-Analytic Evidence AboutSources of Unethical Decisions at Work

摘要

As corporate scandals proliferate, practitioners and researchers alike need a cumulative, quantitativeunderstanding of the antecedents associated with unethical decisions in organizations. In this meta-analysis, the authors draw from over 30 years of research and multiple literatures to examine individual("bad apple"), moral issue ("bad case"), and organizational environment ("bad barrel") antecedents ofunethical choice. Findings provide empirical support for several foundational theories and paint a clearerpicture of relationships characterized by mixed results. Structural equation modeling revealed thecomplexity (multidetermined nature) of unethical choice, as well as a need for research that simulta-neously examines different sets of antecedents. Moderator analyses unexpectedly uncovered betterprediction of unethical behavior than of intention for several variables. This suggests a need to morestrongly consider a new "ethical impulse" perspective in addition to the traditional "ethical calculus"perspective. Results serve as a data-based foundation and guide for future theoretical and empiricaldevelopment in the domain of behavioral ethics.