Responses to Deception in the Workplace: Perceptions of Credibility, Power, and Trustworthiness

Abstract

This study examined full-time employees' perceptions of a coworker's credibility, power, and trustworthiness after the coworker engaged in organizational deception or truth-telling. Participants read one of three scenarios, each of which differed in the type of message (honest, withholding deceptive, distortion deceptive) the coworker communicated. Participants then evaluated the coworker's credibility, power, and trustworthiness. Results indicated that organizational members perceived the coworker as more competent, of high character, more powerful, and more trustworthy when the coworker told the truth versus deceived. Organizational members also considered the coworker to be higher in competence, character, expert power, and referent power when the coworker deceived through withholding versus distorting information. It appears that although honesty may be the best policy in the organization, all forms of deception are not equally destructive.