An Extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action in Ethical Decision Contexts: The Role of Normative Influence and Ethical Judgment

Abstract

The moral conduct of organizations is ultimately dependent on the discrete actions of individuals. The authors address the scholarly and managerial imperative of how individuals combine various cognitions in their ethical decision making. The study extends the understanding of ethical decision making by exploring relationships among Theory of Reasoned Action–relevant constructs. Specifically, the authors examined a model that included an expansion of normative influence to include a behavioral norm and an ethical judgment construct as proximal to intention. To their knowledge, these relationships had not been simultaneously explored in the business ethics literature. Responses from a multidisciplinary student sample to 2 ethical scenarios were examined with structural equation modeling and largely support-hypothesized relationships. Results hold implications for future theory, research, and management of individual-level ethical decision making.

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