Hierarchical Mum Effect: A New Investigation of Organizational Ethics

In this language production experiment, working adults (N = 226) were asked to respond to unethical business requests. Our objective was to advance a communicative understanding of unethical organizational behaviors by analyzing the linguistic adjustments workers employ to deny unethical requests. S...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Southern communication journal 2011-11, Vol.76 (5), p.465-481
Main Authors: Ploeger, Nicole A., Kelley, Katherine M., Bisel, Ryan S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Adults
Ethics
Organizational behavior
Speech acts
Structural hierarchy
Supervisors
Workers
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Summary:In this language production experiment, working adults (N = 226) were asked to respond to unethical business requests. Our objective was to advance a communicative understanding of unethical organizational behaviors by analyzing the linguistic adjustments workers employ to deny unethical requests. Specifically, we measured responses to unethical requests on a continuous coding scheme, which captured degrees of denial directness. We hypothesized that command structures produce a hierarchical mum effect in which subordinates are more indirect in denying an unethical request than supervisors and coworkers. Results confirmed the presence of a hierarchical mum effect; data also indicated that females, younger workers, and those with the least work experience are most indirect in denying an unethical request.
ISSN:1041-794X
1930-3203
DOI:10.1080/1041794x.2010.500343