When Focus and Vision Become a Nightmare: Bottom-Line Mentality Climate, Shared Vision, and Unit Unethical Conduct

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Resick, Christian J.; Lucianetti, Lorenzo; Mawritz, Mary B.; Choi, Jae Young; Boyer, Stacy L.; D'Innocenzo, Lauren
• 署名单位: Drexel University; G d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara; Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE); West Chester University of Pennsylvania; Drexel University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0001111
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 2053-2069
• 关键词: bottom-line mentality; ETHICS; Unethical behavior; vision; work climate

摘要

Drawing on goal shielding theory (Shah et al., 2002), our study highlights the roles of bottom-line mentality climates and shared vision in encouraging collective unethical conduct in pursuit of financial results. Consistent with the theory, we hypothesize that high bottom-line mentality leaders shape their unit's bottom-line mentality climate by explicitly clarifying the importance of prioritizing financial results above all else and using motivational resources to encourage a sole focus on bottom-line attainment. We further hypothesize that a unit's shared vision, which captures a collective sense of purpose and direction, is a critical aspect of the unit's motivational context that increases the likelihood for collective bottom-line enhancing, unethical behaviors (i.e., concealing errors, bribery, and unethical pro-organizational behavior) in units with a salient bottom-line mentality climate. We test our hypotheses in a two-wave, multi-industry field study of work units in central Italy (N = 96). Results indicate that leaders with a bottom-line mentality foster a bottom-line mentality climate in the units they lead, and the linkages with unit unethical conduct are dependent on the unit's shared vision. While shared vision strengthened the effects of bottom-line mentality climates on concealing errors, it served as a necessary condition to motivate more severe forms of unethical conduct. Our study thus demonstrates a dark side to shared vision in that it channels motivational resources toward a unit's bottom-line priorities. When those priorities are singularly focused on the bottom line, shared vision can help to motivate undesirable behavior.