Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model
Abstract
Existing theoretical models of individual ethical decision making in organizations place little or no emphasis on characteristics of the ethical issue itself. This article (a) proposes an issue-contingent model containing a new set of variables called moral intensity; (b) using concepts, theory, and evidence derived largely from social psychology, argues that moral intensity influences every component of moral decision making and behavior; (c) offers four research propositions: and (d) discusses implications of the theory.
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Distance from potential victims has been shown to have a positive effect on unethical professional behaviour.
“This is worrying, as distance from potential victims has been shown to have a positive effect on unethical professional behaviour.”
From Principles alone cannot guarantee ethical AI (2019) · cites this paper as [40]
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References 76 · Cited by 4,135
- Authors
- Jones, T. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jones, Thomas M.
- Venue
- The Academy of Management Review
- Publisher
- Academy of Management
- Published
- 1991-04
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 366
- ISSN
- 0363-7425 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2124077410
- Cited by
- 4,135
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 144 · 2025: 159 · 2024: 164 · 2023: 179 · 2022: 214 · 2021: 203 · 2020: 198 · 2019: 197 · 2018: 177 · 2017: 177 · 2016: 215 · 2015: 197 · 2014: 191 · 2013: 189 · 2012: 228
- FWCI
- 51.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academy of Management Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Ethics in Business and Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Ethics in medical practice
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Keywords
- ethical decision-making, moral intensity, moral behavior, organizational ethics, ethical considerations
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