Journal Article

Individual Moral Development and Ethical Climate: The Influence of Person-Organization Fit on Job Attitudes

Arnaud, Anke, Schminke, Marshall, Ambrose, Maureen L.

2008

Overview

This research examines how the fit between employees moral development and the ethical work climate of their organization affects employee attitudes. Person-organization fit was assessed by matching individuals' level of cognitive moral development with the ethical climate of their organization. The influence of P-O fit on employee attitudes was assessed using a sample of 304 individuals from 73 organizations. In general, the findings support our predictions that fit between personal and organizational ethics is related to higher levels of commitment and job satisfaction and lower levels of turnover intent. Ethical P-O fit was related to higher levels of affective commitment across all three ethical climate types. Job satisfaction was only associated with ethical P-O fit for one of the three P-O fit variables and turnover intentions were significantly associated with two of the ethical P-O fit variables. The most consistent effect was found for the Conventional - Caring fit variable, which was significantly related to all three attitudes assessed. The weakest effect was found for the Preconventional - Instrumental fit variable, which was only predictive of affective commitment. The pattern of findings and implications for practice and future research are discussed.

• Publisher: Springer,Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Attitudes / Behavior / Business and Management / Business Ethics / Climatology / Cognition / Cognitive development / Commitment / Corporate culture / Decision making / Descriptive ethics / Education / Employee attitude / Employee turnover / Employees / Ethical behavior / Ethical codes / Ethics / Individual ethics / Job satisfaction / Kohlbergs stages of moral development / Management / Moral development / Morality / Morals / Organizational behavior / Organizational ethics / Person-Organization Fit / Philosophy / Predictions / Professional ethics / Quality of Life Research / Satisfaction / Social order / Society / Studies / Values / Variables / Work / Work environment / Working conditions