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The role of moral intensity in moral judgments: An empirical investigation

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Abstract

Jones (1991) has proposed an issue-contingent model of ethical decision making by individuals in organizations. The distinguishing feature of the issue was identified as its moral intensity, which determines the moral imperative in the situation. In this study, we adapted three scenarios from the literature in order to examine the issue-contingent model. Findings, based on a student sample, suggest that (1) the perceived and actual dimensions of moral intensity often differed; (2) perceived moral intensity variables, in the aggregate, significantly affected an individual's moral judgments; and (3) some dimensions of moral intensity (namely, perceived social consensus and perceived magnitude of consequences) mattered more than others.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Old Dominion University, 23529, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Sara A. Morris & Robert A. McDonald

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  1. Sara A. Morris
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  2. Robert A. McDonald
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Sara A. Morris is Assistant Professor of Management at Old Dominion University. Her current research examines corporate codes of ethics, attitudes about corporate social responsibility, and the relationship between corporate social and financial performance.

Robert A. McDonald is a doctoral candidate in organizational studies at the State University of New York at Albany. His research interests include ethical decision making, characteristics of moral dilemmas, and leadership power and influence tactics.

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Morris, S.A., McDonald, R.A. The role of moral intensity in moral judgments: An empirical investigation. J Bus Ethics 14, 715–726 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872325

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