Wasieleski, David M.; Hayibor, Sefa; Journal of Business Ethics, Vol 78(1-2), Mar, pp [Journal Article] Johnathan Lou, Charlie Kittler, Tristan Sguigna Breaking Rules: Examining the Facilitaton Effects of Moral Intensity Characteristics on the recognition of Rule Violations

Reports of Cheating Behavior on Social Contracts Executives at companies like Tyco, Enron, Parmalat, and WorldCom violated social contracts Violation of rules constitutes an epidemic

This Study Examines individual’s ability to detect violators of a social contract Focuses on three components of moral intensity: magnitude of consequences, social consensus, and proximity Propose high level of moral intensity will lead to enhanced rule violator detection

Design and Method Wason selection task (social situation involving drinking age) 320 undergraduate students, age ranged from 19 to 23 years three moral intensity variables manipulated into a high and low condition Z test

Results Hypothesis 1, 2 and 3 were not supported Opposite direction occurred for 3rd

Discussion Possible explanations: moral intensity characteristics Wason selection task Culture (norms of drinking behavior) Concept of underage drinking (schema) Issue –contingent variables do not facilitate cheater detection to any significant degree ?

Critical Review Morality and ethics in biological and evolutionary terms Concept of moral intensity characteristics Influence of our "nature" and our "nurture" in forming our ethics and moral behavior Cultural values and age group differences Wason Selection Task