Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Does ethics code design matter? Effects of ethics code rationales and sanctions on recipients' justice perceptions and content recall

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Prior research on ethics codes has suggested, but rarely tested, the effects of code design alternatives on the impact of codes. This study considers whether the presence of explanatory rationales and descriptions of sanctions in ethics codes affects recipients' responses to a code. Theories of organizational justice and persuasive communication support an expectation that rationales and sanctions will be positively related to code recipients' recall of code content and perceptions of organizational justice. Content recall is an obvious precondition of code compliance; justice perceptions have multiple implications for the attitudes and actions of organizational members. Results show that explanatory rationales are associated with a statistically significant increase in perceptions of organizational procedural justice, but that rationales and sanctions generally show no relationship to distributive justice perceptions and accurate content recall. These results suggest that common prescriptions regarding ethics code design are of uncertain value apart from further research which unearths the relationships among the intended and perceived purposes of codes, the organizational settings in which they are applied, and a wide variety of code designs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, J. S.: 1965, ‘Inequity in Social Exchange’, in L. Berkowitz (ed.),Advances in Experimental Psychology, vol. 2 (Academic Press, San Diego, CA), pp. 267–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, S. and M. Ruderman: 1987, ‘The Role of Procedural and Distributive Justice in Organizational Behavior’,Social Justice Research 1, 177–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apsler, R. and D. O. Sears: 1968, ‘Warning, Personal Involvement, and Attitude Change’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 9, 162–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, G. C. S.: 1989, ‘Codes of Ethics’,Journal of Business Ethics 8, 305–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berenbeim, R.: 1987,Corporate Ethics (The Conference Board, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Berenbeim, R.: 1992,Corporate Ethics Practices (The Conference Board, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bies, R. J. and J. S. Moag: 1986, ‘Interactional Justice: Communications Criteria of Fairness’, in R. J. Lewicki, B. H. Sheppard and M. H. Bazerman (eds.),Research on Negotiation in Organizations, vol. 1 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT), pp. 43–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bies, R. J.: 1987, ‘The Predicament of Injustice: The Management of Moral Outrage’,Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 9 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT), pp. 289–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bies, R. J. and D. L. Shapiro: 1988, ‘Voice and Justification: their Influence on Procedural Fairness Judgements’,Academy of Management Journal 31, 767–685.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boster, F. J. and P. Mongeau: 1984, ‘Fear-Arousing Persuasive Messages’, in R. N. Bostrom (ed.),Communication Yearbook Vol. 8 (Sage, Beverly Hills, CA), pp. 330–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bray, J. H. and S. E. Maxwell: 1985,Multivariate Analysis of Variance (Sage, Newbury Park, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Brothers, T.: 1991,Corporate Ethics: Developing New Standards of Accountability (The Conference Board, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Center for Business Ethics: 1986, ‘Are Corporations Institutionalizing Ethics?’,Journal of Business Ethics 5, 85–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cressey, D. R. and C. A. Moore: 1983, ‘Managerial Values and Corporate Codes of Ethics’,California Management Review 25(4), 53–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dailey, R. C. and D. J. Kirk: 1992, ‘Distributive and Procedural Justice as Antecedents of Job Dissatisfaction and Intent to Turnover’,Human Relations 34, 305–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch, M.: 1985,Distributive Justice (Yale University Press, New Haven, CT).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittrich, J. E. and M. R. Carroll: 1979, ‘Organizational Equity Perceptions, Employee Job Satisfaction, and Department Absence and Turnover Rates’,Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 24, 29–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahr, J., P. M. Podsakoff and D. W. Organ: 1990, ‘Accounting for Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Leader Fairness and Task Scope Versus Satisfaction’,Journal of Management 16, 705–722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, M. S. and J. G. March: 1981, ‘Information in Organizations as Signal and Symbol’,Administrative Science Quarterly 26, 171–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes, M. F. and D. M. Randall: 1992, ‘The Nature of Social Desirability Response Effects in Ethics Research’,Business Ethics Quarterly 2, 183–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folger, R. and R. J. Bies: 1989, ‘Managerial Repressibilities and Procedural Justice’,Employee Rights and Responsibilities Journal 2, 79–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folger, R. and M. Konovsky: 1989, ‘Effects of Procedural and Distributive Justice on Reactions to Pay Raise Decisions’,Academy of Management Journal 32, 115–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankel, M. S.: 1989, ‘Professional Codes: Why, How and with What impact?’Journal of Business Ethics 8, 109–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fryxell, G. E. and M. E. Gordon: 1989, ‘Workplace Justice and Job Satisfaction as Predictors of Satisfaction with Union and Management’,Academy of Management Journal 32, 851–866.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gatewood, R. D., and A. B. Carroll: 1991, ‘Assessment of Ethical Performance of Organizational Members: A Conceptual Framework’,Academy of Management Review 16, 667–690.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, J.: 1987, ‘A Taxonomy of Organizational Justice Theories’,Academy of Management Review 12, 9–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, J.: 1990a, ‘Organizational Justice: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’,Journal of Management 16, 399–432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, J.: 1990b, ‘Employee Theft as a Reaction to Underpayment Inequity: The Hidden Cost of Pay Cuts’,Journal of Applied Psychology 75, 561–568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L. and S. Feshback: 1953, ‘Effects of Fear-Arousing Communications’,Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 48, 78–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landekich, S.: 1989,Corporate Codes of Conduct: An Examination and Implementation Guide (National Association of Accounts Montvale, NJ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, C. C. and B. B. Schlegelmilch: 1991, ‘Do Corporate Codes of Ethics Reflect National Character? Evidence from Europe and the United States’,Journal of International Business Studies 22, 519–539.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M. J.: 1977, ‘The Justice Motive: Some Hypotheses as to its Origins and Forms’,Journal of Personality 45, 1–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, G. S.: 1976, ‘Fairness in Social Relationships’, in J. W. Thibaut, J. T. Spence and R. Carson (eds.),Contemporary Topics in Social Psychology (General Learning Press, Morristown, NJ), pp. 211–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, G. S.: 1980, ‘What Should be Done with Equity Theory? New Approaches to the Study of Fairness in Social Relationships’, in K. S. Gergen, M. S. Greenberg and R. H. Willis (eds),Social exchange: Advances in theory and research (Plenum, New York), pp. 27–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, H.: 1970, ‘Findings and Theory in the Study of Fear Communications’, in L. Berkowitz (ed.),Advances in Experimental and Social Psychology, Vol. 5 (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lind, E. A. and T. R. Tyler: 1988,The Social Psychology of Procedural Justice (Plenum Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Longenecker, C. O., D. A. Gioia and H. P. Sims: 1987, ‘Behind the Mask: The Politics of Employee Appraisal’,Academy of Management Executive 1, 183–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manley, W.: 1991,Executive's Handbook of Model Business Conduct Codes (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathews, M. C.: 1988,Strategic Intervention in Organizations: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas (Sage, Newbury Park, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar, D. T. and N. Vidmar: 1981, ‘The Social Psychology of Punishment Reactions’, in M. J. Lerner and S. C. Lerner (eds.),The Justice Motive in Social Behavior (Plenum, New York), pp. 145–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molander, E. A.: 1987, ‘A Paradigm for Design, Promulgation and Enforcement of Ethical Codes’,Journal of Business Ethics 6, 619–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moorman, R. H.: 1991, ‘Relationship Between Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: Do Fairness Perceptions Influence Employee Citizenship?’,Journal of Applied Psychology 76, 845–855.

    Google Scholar 

  • Northrop Corporation: 1991,Standards of Business Conduct (Northrop Corporation, Los Angeles, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Organ, D. W.: 1988,Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Good Soldier Syndrome (Lexington Books, Lexington, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Organ, D. W.: 1990, ‘The Motivational Basis of Organizational Citizenship Behavior’, in B. M. Staw and L. L. Cummings (eds.),Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 12 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT), pp. 43–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty, R. E. and J. T. Cacioppo: 1986,Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change (Springer-Verlag, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty, R. E. and J. T. Cacioppo: 1981,Attitudes and Persuasion: Classic and Contemporary Approaches (Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, LA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Raiborn, C. A. and D. Payne: 1990, ‘Corporate Codes of Conduct: A Collective Conscience and Continuum’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 879–889.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, E. E.: 1986, ‘Justice Ideology and Social Legitimation’, in H. W. Bierhoff, R. C. Cohe, and J. Greenberg (eds.),Justice in Social Relations (Plenum, New York), pp. 87–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnake, M. E.: 1987, ‘Vicarious Punishment in a Work Setting: A Failure to Replicate’,Psychological Reports 61, 379–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnake, M. E. and M. P. Dumler: 1990, ‘Use of Vicarious Punishment to Offset Effects of Negative Social Cues’,Psychological Reports 66, 1299–1308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholl, R. W., E. A. Cooper and J. F. McKenna: 1987, ‘Reference Selection in Determining Equity Perceptions: Differential Effects on Behavioral and Attitudinal Outcomes’,Personnel Psychology 40, 113–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherif, M. and C. I. Hovland: 1961,Social Judgment: Assimilation and Contrast Effects in Communication and Attitude Change (Yale University Press, New Haven, CT).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, S. R.: 1982, ‘Fear-Arousing Communications: A Critical Examination of Theory and Research’, in J. R. Eiser (ed.),Social Psychology and Behavioral Medicine (Wiley, New York), p. 303–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweeney, R. B. and H. L. Siers: 1990, ‘Ethics in Corporate America’,Management Accounting, June, 34–40.

  • Thibaut, J. and J. Walker: 1975,Procedural Justice: A Psychological Analysis (Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Toulmin, S.: 1981, ‘The Tyranny of Principles’,The Hastings Center Report 11(6), 31–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1990, ‘A Cultural Perspective on Changing and Developing Organizational Ethics’,Research in Organizational Change and Development, Vol. 4 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT), pp. 195–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1992, ‘The Social Effects of Punishment in Organizations: a Justice perspective’,Academy of Management Review 17, 647–676.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K. and G. A. Ball: 1992, ‘The Social Implications of Punishing Unethical Behavior: Observers' Cognitive and Affective Reactions’,Journal of Management 18, 751–768.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K. and S. A. Youngblood: 1990, ‘Bad Apples in Bad Barrels: A Causal Analysis of Ethical Decision Making Behavior’,Journal of Applied Psychology 74, 378–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R. and R. J. Bies: 1990, ‘Beyond Formal Procedures: The Interpersonal Context of Procedural Justice’, in J. S. Carroll (ed.),Applied Social Psychology in Business Settings (Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ), pp. 77–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, G. R.: 1992, ‘Explaining Ethical Structures: Transaction Costs and Institutional Processes’,Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings, 358–362.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware, 19716, Newark, Delaware, U.S.A.

    Gary R. Weaver

Authors
  1. Gary R. Weaver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Gary R. Weaver received a Ph.D. in philosophy and is currently pursuing a second Ph.D., in management and organization studies. His interests focus on social and ethical issues in business, and organization theory and design. HisExplaining Ethical Structures: Transaction Costs and Institutional Processes received the 1992 Best Paper Award from the Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management. He is an assistant professor of business administration at the University of Delaware.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weaver, G.R. Does ethics code design matter? Effects of ethics code rationales and sanctions on recipients' justice perceptions and content recall. J Bus Ethics 14, 367–385 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872099

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872099

Keywords

Search

Navigation