Threats to Moral Identity: Testing the Effects of Incentives and Consequences of One's Actions on Moral Cleansing

Harkrider, Lauren N.; Tamborski, Michael; Wang, Xiaoqian; Brown, Ryan P.; Mumford, Michael D.; Connelly, Shane; Devenport, Lynn D.

doi:10.1080/10508422.2012.714246

Cited by 21 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…In support of this rationale, Harkrider et al . () found that prior transgressions motivated participants to act prosocially in order to repair negative feelings of moral self‐worth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remember your crimes: How an appeal to ingroup wrongdoings fosters reconciliation in separatist conflict

Mashuri

Leeuwen

Vugt

2018

British J Social Psychol

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The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of appeals to ingroup wrongdoings, as opposed to ingroup rightdoings, on reconciliation between groups in a real-world conflict. We conducted an experiment in Indonesia, where separatist conflict in the province West Papua is currently unresolved. Participants were a sample of Javanese residents (N = 502), representing the majority group in Indonesia. Compared to ingroup rightdoings, being reminded of ingroup wrongdoings significantly increased participants' sense of perpetratorhood. These feelings of being a perpetrator in turn fostered participants' reconciliatory attitudes towards the separatist group. These findings reveal that an appeal to ingroup wrongdoings can be effective in promoting intergroup reconciliation. In addition to theoretical implications, we discuss practical implications in terms of highlighting the importance of acknowledging ingroup wrongdoings as part of an intervention programme.

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“…In support of this rationale, Harkrider et al . () found that prior transgressions motivated participants to act prosocially in order to repair negative feelings of moral self‐worth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remember your crimes: How an appeal to ingroup wrongdoings fosters reconciliation in separatist conflict

Mashuri

Leeuwen

Vugt

2018

British J Social Psychol

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“…Before we examine the validity of this developmental model, it is important to note the lack of semantic clarity in much of the literature around the use of such terms as moral identity, the moral self, moral self‐identity , and moral selfhood . Although some scholars make a clear distinction between the terms moral self and moral identity to distinguish between what they regard as dissimilar psychological constructs pertinent to disparate developmental periods, others use the terms moral identity, the moral self, moral self‐identity , and moral selfhood interchangeably when referring exclusively to its mature form in adolescence and adulthood (see, e.g., Aquino & Reed, ; Frimer & Walker, ; Hardy & Carlo, ; Harkrider et al ., ; Jordan, Mullen, & Murnighan, ). Others employ the term moral self when referring to both the mature adult form of this construct and its purported developmental antecedent in early childhood (see, e.g., Krettenauer, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The moral self and moral identity: Developmental questions and conceptual challenges

Kingsford

Hawes

Rosnay

2018

British J of Dev Psycho

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Research into moral identity has provided much support for its role in mature moral functioning, yet the developmental course of this construct remains poorly understood. In this review, we examine the dominant developmental model of moral identity, which emphasizes its key relation with the moral self of early childhood. In reviewing evidence for the model, the assumption of correspondence between the moral self of early childhood and moral identity in adolescence is challenged, in terms of both the moral component and the sense-of-self entailed in both constructs. We argue that progress in mapping the developmental course of moral identity stands to be informed by a focus on middle childhood, which to date has been largely neglected in this literature, despite evidence implicating this period from related fields of inquiry. A number of specific directions for future developmental research into moral identity are outlined based on this perspective. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Moral identity is central to adolescent moral functioning. Early childhood 'moral self' becomes adolescent moral identity. What does this study add? The current dominant developmental model is examined. The model is found to have questionable validity. Middle childhood may be of unique importance to the emergence of moral identity.

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“…We add to that work by examining the consequences of UPB through the new lens of cognitive dissonance theory; we find that to reduce dissonance after engaging in UPB, employees downgrade the importance of moral characteristics in their self-conception, which in turn leads to less ethical behaviors (i.e., OCB) and more unethical behaviors (i.e., CWB) in the workplace. These findings suggest that the aftermath of UPB requires special attention because UPB can lead to subsequent undesirable behaviors that may disturb organizational functioning (Chen et al, 2016;Harkrider et al, 2013). Second, our study broadens the application of cognitive dissonance theory in behavioral ethics literature by capturing moral identity internalization as a cognitive approach to reduce cognitive dissonance due to UPB.…”

Section: Theoretical Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 78%

When Moral Tension Begets Cognitive Dissonance: An Investigation of Responses to Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior and the Contingent Effect of Construal Level

et al. 2021

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Research on unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) has predominantly focused on its antecedents, while overlooking how engaging in such behavior might affect employees' psychological experience and their downstream work behaviors. Integrating cognitive dissonance theory with the moral identity literature, we argue that engaging in UPB restricts moral identity internalization as a result of attempts to alleviate the cognitive dissonance about moral self-regard, which in turn translates into decreased organizational citizenship behavior and increased counterproductive workplace behavior. Moreover, employees' construal level weakens these indirect effects by alleviating the negative effect of engaging in UPB on moral identity internalization. The results from one experimental study and one multi-wave, multisource field study provide support for these predictions. Our research extends knowledge on the negative consequences of UPB for actors and organizations.

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Threats to Moral Identity: Testing the Effects of Incentives and Consequences of One's Actions on Moral Cleansing

Cited by 21 publications

References 55 publications

Remember your crimes: How an appeal to ingroup wrongdoings fosters reconciliation in separatist conflict

Remember your crimes: How an appeal to ingroup wrongdoings fosters reconciliation in separatist conflict

The moral self and moral identity: Developmental questions and conceptual challenges

When Moral Tension Begets Cognitive Dissonance: An Investigation of Responses to Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior and the Contingent Effect of Construal Level

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