Abstract
This study examines the impact of a social desirability response bias as a personality characteristic (self- deception and impression management) and as an item characteristic (perceived desirability of the behavior) on self-reported ethical conduct. Findings from a sample of college students revealed that self-reported ethical conduct is associated with both personality and item characteristics, with perceived desirability of behavior having the greatest influence on self-reported conduct. Implications for research in business ethics are drawn, and suggestions are offered for reducing the effects of a socially desirable response bias.
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Appendix A: Overclaiming Scale
Appendix A: Overclaiming Scale
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How familiar are you with each of the following newly released movies?
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1.
Turned to Gold
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2.
Katherine’s Mistake
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1.
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How familiar are you with each of the following products?
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1.
Microsoft Statistical Assistant
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New Life Spices
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How familiar are you with each of the following albums?
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Cosmic Being
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Offender After Dark
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How familiar are you with each of the following TV programs?
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1.
The Adventures of Johnnie
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Chicago Heat
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How familiar are you with each of the following designer labels?
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Ocean City
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Jones L. A.
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1.
All answers provided with a five point Likert scale (1  =  not at all familiar, 3  =  somewhat familiar, and 5  =  very familiar).
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Randall, D.M., Fernandes, M.F. (2013). The Social Desirability Response Bias in Ethics Research. In: Michalos, A., Poff, D. (eds) Citation Classics from the Journal of Business Ethics. Advances in Business Ethics Research, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4126-3_9
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