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“If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations

Publication ,  Journal Article
Fath, S; Kay, AC
Published in: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
November 1, 2018

We propose that people associate organizational hierarchy with corruption. Nine studies (N = 1896) provide triangulating evidence for this tendency and its underlying mechanism. We find that people expect more corruption to manifest among the employees of relatively more hierarchical organizations, and judge an organization with a history of corruption more likely to be hierarchical than one without. Furthermore, we show that the lay belief that hierarchy and corruption are connected is driven by two related assumptions: (i) that the more hierarchical an organization is, the more likely it is that its employees are competitive with each other, and (ii) that the more competitive employees are with each other, the more likely they are to be corrupt. Finally, we connect these lay beliefs to behavioral outcomes involved in trusting people who work for very hierarchical organizations and those organizations themselves. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

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Published In

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

DOI

ISSN

0749-5978

Publication Date

November 1, 2018

Volume

149

Start / End Page

145 / 164

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
 

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Fath, S., & Kay, A. C. (2018). “If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 149, 145–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.10.004
Fath, S., and A. C. Kay. ““If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 149 (November 1, 2018): 145–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.10.004.
Fath S, Kay AC. “If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2018 Nov 1;149:145–64.
Fath, S., and A. C. Kay. ““If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 149, Nov. 2018, pp. 145–64. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.10.004.
Fath S, Kay AC. “If hierarchical, then corrupt”: Exploring people's tendency to associate hierarchy with corruption in organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2018 Nov 1;149:145–164.
Journal cover image

Published In

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

DOI

ISSN

0749-5978

Publication Date

November 1, 2018

Volume

149

Start / End Page

145 / 164

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services