The Psychic Cost of Doing Wrong: Ethical Conflict, Divestiture Socialization, and Emotional Exhaustion

Many employees feel ethically conflicted at work, but research has yet to identify the specific mechanisms that give rise to this sense of ethical conflict. The authors propose that ethical conflicts occur when companies encourage employees to behave counter to their own sense of right and wrong dur...

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Published in:Journal of management 2012-05, Vol.38 (3), p.784-808
Main Authors: Kammeyer-Mueller, John D., Simon, Lauren S., Rich, Bruce L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Burnout
Conflict
Cost
Employee attitude
Employees
Ethics
Exhaustion
Lawyers
Management
Mental stress
Organizational behavior
Psychological effects
Reimbursement
Social workers
Socialization
Stress
Studies
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creator Kammeyer-Mueller, John D.
Simon, Lauren S.
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description Many employees feel ethically conflicted at work, but research has yet to identify the specific mechanisms that give rise to this sense of ethical conflict. The authors propose that ethical conflicts occur when companies encourage employees to behave counter to their own sense of right and wrong during the process of organizational socialization. Employees who are subject to these pressures experience psychological distress. The authors’ study of 371 early career lawyers found that divestiture socialization was positively related to ethical conflict and that ethical conflict was related to higher emotional exhaustion and lower career fulfillment. Ethical conflict partially mediated the relationship between divestiture socialization and emotional exhaustion. Narrative comments provided by respondents reinforced the relationship between divestiture socialization and ethical conflict.
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source EBSCOhost Business Source Ultimate; International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS); PAIS Index; Sage Journals Online
subjects Burnout
Conflict
Cost
Employee attitude
Employees
Ethics
Exhaustion
Lawyers
Management
Mental stress
Organizational behavior
Psychological effects
Reimbursement
Social workers
Socialization
Stress
Studies
title The Psychic Cost of Doing Wrong: Ethical Conflict, Divestiture Socialization, and Emotional Exhaustion
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