Abstract
This study examines the impact of impression management and overclaiming on self-reported ethical conduct of 174 managers (67 male, 107 female) who worked for a large not-for-profit organization. As anticipated, impression management and overclaiming positively influenced perceived unethical conduct of managers. Female managers were more prone to impression management than male managers. There was no significant difference in perceived unethical conduct or level of overclaiming of male and female managers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arlow, P. and T. A. Ulrich: 1980, ‘Business Ethics, Social Responsibility and Business Students: An Empiricial Comparison of Clark's Study’, Akron Business and Economic Review 11, 17–23.
Brookhouse, J. K., R. M. Guion and M. E. Doherty: 1966, ‘Social Desirability Response Bias as One Source of the Discrepancy between Subjective Weights and Regression Weights’, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 37, 316–328.
Cortina, J. M.: 1993, ‘What is Coefficient Alpha? An Examination of Theory and Applications’, Journal of Applied Psychology 78(1), 98–104.
Crandall, V.: 1966, ‘Personality Characteristics and Social Achievement Behaviors Associated with Children's Social Desirability Response Tendencies’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 4, 447–486.
Dalton, D. R. and M. B. Metzgar: 1992, ‘Towards Candor, Cooperation, and Privacy in Applied Business Ethics Research: The Randomized Research Technique’, Business Ethics Quarterly 2(2), 207–221.
Frederick, W. C., J. E. Post and K. Davis: 1992, Business and Society (McGraw Hill, Inc., New York).
Fisher, R. J.: 1993, ‘Social Desirability Bias and the Validity of Indirect Questioning’, Journal of Consumer Research 20 (September), 303–315.
Ganster, D. C., H. W. Hennessy and F. Luthans: 1983, ‘Social Desirability Response Effects: Three Alternative Models’, Academy of Management Journal 26(2), 321–331.
Hollon, C. J. and T. A. Ulrich: 1979, ‘Personal Business Ethics: Managers vs Managers-To-Be’, Southern Business Review, 5, 17–22.
Kohlberg, L.: 1981, The Philosophy of Moral Development (Harper & Row, New York).
Lautenschlager, G. J. and V. L. Flaherty: 1990, ‘Computer Administration of Questions: More Desirable or More Social Desirability?’, Journal of Applied Psychology 75(3), 310–314.
Linden, W., D. L. Paulhaus, and K. S. Dobson: 1986, ‘Effects of Response Styles on the Report of psychological and Somatic Distress’, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54(3), 309–313.
McGuire, W. J.: 1968, ‘Personality and Susceptibility to Social influence’, in E. F. Borgatta and W. W. Lambert, ed., Handbook of Personality Theory and Research (Rand McNally, Chicago).
Milham, J.: 1974, ‘Two Components of Need of Approval Score and their Relationship to Cheating Following Success and Failure’, Journal of Research in Personality 8, 378–392.
Paulhus, D. L.: 1984, ‘Two-Component Models of Socially Desirable Responding’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 598–609.
Peltier, D. B. and J. A. Walsh: 1990, ‘An Investigation of Response Bias in the Chapman Scales’, Educational and Psychological Measurement 50, 803–815.
Peterson, R. A. and R. A. Kerin: 1981, ‘The Quality of Self-Report Data: Review and Synthesis’, in B. M. Enis and K. J. Roering eds, Review of Marketing (American Marketing Association, Chicago), 5–20.
Phillips, D. L. and K. J. Clancy: 1972, ‘Some Effects of “Social Desirability” in Survey Studies’, American Journal of Sociology, 77(5), 921–941.
Randall, D. M. and A. M. Gibson: 1990, ‘Methodology in Business Ethics Research: A Review and Critical Assessment’, Journal of Business Ethics 9(6), 457–472.
Randall, D. M. and M. F. Fernandes: 1991, ‘The Social Desirability Response Bias in Ethics Research’, Journal of Business Ethics 10, 805–817.
Robertson, D. C.: 1993, ‘Empiricism in Business Ethics: Suggested Research Directions’, Journal of Business Ethics 12, 585–599.
Robinette, R. L.: 1991, ‘The Relationship Between the Marlowe-Crowne Form C and the Validity Scales of the MMPI’, Journal of Clinical Psychology 47 (May), 396–399.
Stevens, G. E.: 1984, ‘Business Ethics and Social Responsibility: The Response of Present and Future Managers’, Akron Business and Economic Review (fall), 6–11.
Tyson, T.: 1990, ‘Believing that Everyone Else is Less Ethical: Implications for Work Behavior and Ethics Instruction’, Journal of Business Ethics 9, 715–721.
Zerbe, W. J. and D. L. Paulhus: 1987, ‘Socially Desirable Responding in Organizational Behavior: A Reconception’, Academy of Management Review 12(2), 250–264.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Peter P. Schoderbek is Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Iowa. He is the author of six books and many articles on various aspects of management. He has lectured through out the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe, and has conducted seminars for federal agencies, private corporations, universities, and governments. Much of his work has been in project management and goal setting. His recent interests include strategic policy, business ethics, and compensation.
Satish Deshpande is an Associate Professor of Management at Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University. He teaches human resource management courses. His current research interests include business ethics, managerial decision-making, and applied psychology in human resource issues. His publications include articles in the Academy of Management Journal, Compensation and Benefits Review, Human Relations, Journal of Small Business Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schoderbek, P.P., Deshpande, S.P. Impression management, overclaiming, and perceived unethical conduct: The role of male and female managers. Journal of Business Ethics 15, 409–414 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380361
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380361