Ethical person-environment fit: An integrative definition, key findings, and a call for future research

Abstract

Although studies of ethical fit have been informative, the need to map a variety of seemingly disparate ethics-centered constructs (e.g., values congruence, ethical conflict) to the ethical fit domain still exists. Thus, a tripartite framework of ethical person-environment fit is proposed that includes affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions, resulting in a parsimonious set of ethical fit types. An integrative definition of ethical fit is provided, describing what constitutes ethical fit between employees and the organizational environment. Using the proposed organizing framework, empirical research on ethical fit is reviewed, highlighting key findings, resolving conceptual challenges, and identifying areas for future research. This review of the ethical fit literature revealed that there was an inconsistent pattern of results for studies operationalizing ethical fit using affective constructs. Conversely, those using moral-cognitive constructs, or a combination of affective, behavioral, and cognitive constructs consistently demonstrated positive associations between ethical fit and outcomes.