Ethical Climate as Social Norm: Impact on Judgements and Behavioral Intentions in the Workplace.

Laurent Auzoult,Crisanta-Alina Mazilescu

doi:10.3390/ijerph18116006

Abstract

We present a study that looks at the relationship between the ethical climate, considered as a set of social norms, and judgments and behaviors in the workplace. In this case we think that an ethical rule reflecting the climate is only actualized in conduct and/or decisions if the rule is applicable, is shared, and is the subject of social expectations. A total of 277 professionals responded to a questionnaire measuring the normativity of three ethical rules, socio-moral judgment, trust in supervisors, turnover intention, and discrimination as well as abusive supervision. The results confirm our hypothesis. This leads to a different view of how the ethical climate is measured and constructed in the workplace.

Highlights

Exercising ethical and responsible management is a major challenge for most companies
This study proposes for the first time that it is when these attitudes become social norms that they are likely to translate into social practices
We have considered five correlates supposedly associated with the ethical climate: turnover intention, which refers to the intentions associated with mobility or staying in the organization; abusive supervision, which accounts for anti-social behavior at work on the part of line managers; trust in superiors, which indicates the belief that the relationship with the superior will be beneficial for their subordinate; socio-moral judgment, which accounts for the judgment of the perceived gravity of transgressive or atypical behaviors; and the propensity to discriminate, which refers to the intentions associated with discriminatory behavior in the workplace

Summary

Introduction

Exercising ethical and responsible management is a major challenge for most companies. We present a study on the consideration of the ethical climate as a social norm, i.e., shared expectations of acceptable behavior by group. This study questions the way in which ethical behavior in the workplace, i.e., behaviour which respects the dignity, diversity, and rights of individuals and groups of people, must be perceived in order to give rise to effects on judgments and behavior in the workplace. We seek to highlight the process by which ethical attitudes are actualized into judgments and behaviors consistent with responsible practices. This study proposes for the first time that it is when these attitudes become social norms that they are likely to translate into social practices

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion