Specifically, we demonstrated the predictive validity of the propensity
to morally disengage beyond the explanatory power of (a) morally salient
individual differences (Machiavellianism, moral identity, and empathy),
(b) rational-deliberative constructs such as capacity for moral reasoning
(cognitive moral development) and philosophical orientations (predispositions
towards idealism and relativism), and (c) dispositional moral
emotions (shame and guilt) across an array of unethical behaviors, including
self-reported lying, cheating, and stealing; business-related unethical
and self-serving decision making; and supervisor- and coworker-reported
unethical employee behavior. In fact, compared to the numerous alternative
predictors we selected and controlled for based on theoretical and
meta-analytic evidence, our measure of the propensity to morally disengage
is the strongest and most consistent predictor of multiple unethical
organizational outcomes in the studies reported here.4
Notably, most of the relationships between the propensity to morally
disengage and other constructs in its nomological network were assessed
for the first time, thus additionally contributing new knowledge about
the morally relevant individual difference correlates of the propensity
to morally disengage. As expected, the propensity to morally disengage
correlates positively with Machiavellianism and relativism; negatively
with moral identity, empathy, cognitive moral development, idealism, and
dispositional guilt; and is not significantly correlated with dispositional
shame. Given these findings, we suggest that future theoretical models,
empirical studies, and intervention efforts seeking to understand and reduce
unethical outcomes include the propensity to morally disengage as
a valuable explanatory construct