Variance in Virtue: An Integrative Review of Intraindividual (Un)Ethical Behavior Research

In contrast to the prevailing interindividual and interactionist perspectives on (un)ethical behavior, recent research has demonstrated that employees can dynamically transition between ethical and unethical behavior as part of an intraindividual moral self-regulation process. We review over 300 empirical studies that examined within-person processes (e.g., moral licensing, moral cleansing, and slippery slope) as explanations for a variety of organizationally relevant behaviors (e.g., [un]ethical behavior, organizational citizenship behaviors, and counterproductive work behaviors). From our review, we develop a multistage model that integrates the influences of individual traits and contextual factors with intraindividual moral self-regulation processes. Combining findings from diverse research domains (e.g., management, psychology, marketing, and economics), we emphasize the importance of these factors in understanding the evaluation of initial and compensatory (un)ethical behavior, the selection of targets for compensatory behavior, and shifts in moral reference points. In doing so, we highlight conceptual, empirical, and methods-related contributions to this literature, and we identify paths for future research that integrates different perspectives on behavioral ethics.