Withstanding Moral Disengagement: Ethical Self-Efficacy as Moderator in Misbehavior Routinization

Moral disengagement (MD) is a social-cognitive process that increases the likelihood of engaging in counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Previous studies have also suggested its role in the routinization of misconduct. What remains unclear are the processes that could attenuate the disinhibitory power of MD in routinization of CWB. This is what we investigate in this manuscript. We propose that self-reflective and behavioral ethical self-efficacy beliefs can buffer the CWB-MD-CWB mediational path over time. We present two empirical studies conducted in two different contexts (i.e., the United Kingdom and Italy). Preliminary examination of the psychometric properties of the newly developed constructs attested the validity and reliability of the ethical SE measures (Study 1, N=308). The posited model has been investigated in an independent longitudinal study conducted on a larger sample of employees (Study 2, N=1308). Results from a structural equation model of moderated mediation confirmed that more efficacious individuals were less likely to routinize CWB over time through the mediation of MD. Results showed that the effect of self-reflective and behavioral ethical self-efficacies on the routinization process occurs at different stages. While self-reflective ethical self-efficacy buffers the CWB-MD relationship over time, behavioral ethical self-efficacy buffers the MD-CWB relationship over time. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.