Ethical incidents reported by industrial-organizational psychologists: A ten-year follow-up.

Abstract

This article reports the results of an ethics survey of professional members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP/APA-Div. 14) conducted in 2019, and compares its findings with those of a similar survey conducted in 2009. In 2019, but not 2009, international members and associates were included. A total of 680 survey responses were received in 2019, with 157 of them describing a narrative incident of a recently experienced ethical situation. In 2009, 228 of 661 respondents described a total of 292 incidents. Respondents were asked to categorize and rate their incidents on a variety of attributes. Demographic subgroup analyses showed more similarities than differences in the nature and outcomes of ethical issues reported. However, differences were observed as a function of work domain (academe, internal practice, external practice), membership status (member/fellow/associate), career stage (years since highest degree), and field of highest degree (I-O psychology, other psychology area, and business), suggesting caution if generalizing to the entire field. Respondents who actually faced the ethical issue described viewed it as somewhat less serious than those who occupied some other (observer) role in the situation, and also reported more successful resolutions. Comparing 2019 with 2009 data revealed overall consistency in the relative incidence of different forms of ethical challenges and the work activity areas in which they arise. However, in 2019 there were more covert incidents (e.g., role conflicts, values conflicts, conflicts of interest) and fewer overt incidents (e.g., coercion, corruption). Implications for improving ethics education and training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).