The character lens: Moral character promotes ethical decision-making through moral awareness

Abstract

Research suggests that individual differences in ethical decision making are reliably associated with moral character traits; however, the social-cognitive mechanisms that link broad traits to specific decisions are still poorly understood. In two studies using MBA and community samples, ethical decision-making was reliably associated with individual differences in moral character measured several weeks previously. Individuals higher in moral character were more trustworthy, more trusting, and had stronger intentions to blow the whistle on corporate corruption. The character-decision making link was driven in part by the fact that these individuals were more aware of the moral implications of the decisions they faced than were their peers. Moreover, individuals higher in moral character were less susceptible to ethical fading than those low in character; that is, they remained steadfast in their moral awareness even in the face of pressures that decreased moral awareness in the minds of their peers. These results suggest that one reason moral character exerts a positive effect on ethical decision-making is by providing a lens through which the moral implications of one’s choices remain in sharp focus.