Offender Morality in the Aftermath of Wrongdoing

Abstract

Recent calls for research have inspired a surge of theoretical and empirical work aimed at better understanding how to recover from unjust and unethical actions in organizations, with particular burgeoning interest in constructive and socially aware responses. However, the majority of this work has focused on the concerns of those who have suffered injustice/unfairness or the organizational decision makers responsible for resolving the conflict and repairing functional organizational relationships. Little work has examined the perspective of the moral agent who is actually responsible for the violation (i.e., the offender) or the implications of that offender’s motives for restorative action. This symposium brings together the latest research on offenders, their experiences in the aftermath of a wrongdoing, and their constructive motivations toward moral reform and organizational reintegration. By focusing on the underlying motivations of workplace offenders, the research presented in this symposium offers evidence of both the antecedents and consequences of an offender’s attempts to restore morality and justice in the aftermath of their wrongdoing, active engagement in restorative processes such as apologizing, seeking reintegration with their community, and giving advice to others who may benefit from their wisdom as ex-offenders. Together these studies open up a conversation about the downstream consequences of unethical behavior, and how offenders in particular can adaptively and constructively respond to facilitate their own reform, reintegration, and repair of the broader ethical community. Do As I Say Not As I've Done: Suffering For A Misdeed Reduces The Hypocrisy Of Advising Against It Presenter: Daniel A. Effron; London Business School Presenter: Dale Miller; Stanford U. Relationship Repair In The Workplace: Why Do Offenders Apologize? Presenter: Ramona Bobocel; U. of Waterloo Presenter: Frank Mu; U. of Waterloo Overcoming Fixed Mindsets And Enhancing Motivation To Reform Through Self-Reflection Presenter: Madeline Ong; U. of Michigan The Impact Of Offender Narratives On Workplace Reintegration Presenter: Georgina Bosel; U. of Queensland Presenter: Tyler G. Okimoto; U. of Queensland