Workplace Integrity: An Examination of the Relationship Among Personality, Moral Reasoning, Academic Integrity and Counterproductive Work Behavior

Date of Graduation

Spring 2007

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Carol Shoptaugh

Abstract

One challenge in maintaining and promoting integrity in the workplace is identifying job applicants who are likely to engage in counterproductive work behaviors. Organizations would like to prevent CWB by screening and selecting only those individuals who will behave with integrity. The current study examined the relationships among psychological needs, motivation styles, level of moral reasoning, academic dishonesty and counterproductive work behavior. One-hundred forty-five undergraduate psychology students who have previously held full or part-time jobs completed the CWB Checklist, the Cheating Behaviors and Severity Scale, the General Needs Satisfaction Scale, the Prosocial Self-regulation Questionnaire and a written assessment of moral reasoning. Competence and relatedness needs, introjected and identified motivation styles, and cheating behavior significantly predicted CWB. Past cheating behavior and introjected motivation style were identified in a hierarchical regression as independent significant predictors of CWB. Based on these findings employers could look to academic behaviors and individual differences in their screen of job applicants. Further research in needed to replicate this finding on a sample of full-time, non-student workers.

Keywords

workplace integrity, academic integrity, moral reasoning, Self-Determination Theory, counterproductive work behavior

Subject Categories

Psychology

Copyright

© Renee Christine Vincent

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Dissertation/Thesis

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