Perceived forgiveness climate and punishment of ethical misconduct
ISSN: 0025-1747
Article publication date: 17 June 2019
Issue publication date: 17 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether, and under what conditions, an individual’s punitive intent in response to ethical misconduct is shaped by their perceived forgiveness climate, which is their perception of how forgiving their organization is.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the survey method embedded within a vignette-based experiment involving working adults.
Findings
Results show that higher perceived forgiveness climate is associated with lower punitive intent when an experience of being forgiven is salient to the disciplinary decision maker and when there are mitigating circumstances surrounding the ethical misconduct. When an experience of being unforgiven is salient to the disciplinary decision maker, higher perceived forgiveness climate is associated with higher punitive intent.
Research limitations/implications
This study presents a more nuanced perspective on the conditions that shape punishment decision making in response to workplace ethical misconduct. As the findings may be specific to the measures and vignette used, future research should explore the replicability of these results using other measures and types of ethical misconduct.
Practical implications
The paper alerts disciplinary decision makers to the potential influence of their perceptions of the organizational context and of their personal experiences on their punishment decision making, helping avoid inappropriately punishing subordinates, which can generate employee resentment and inflated turnover.
Originality/value
This is the first study that examined the relationship between forgiveness and punishment in response to ethical misconduct in a workplace setting.
Keywords
Citation
Salvador, R. (2019), "Perceived forgiveness climate and punishment of ethical misconduct", Management Decision, Vol. 58 No. 5, pp. 797-811. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2018-0650
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited