Moral Maturation and Moral Conation: A Capacity Approach to Explaining Moral Thought and Action

Abstract

We set out to address a gap in the management literature by proposing a framework specifying the component capacities organizational actors require to think and act morally. We examine how moral maturation (i.e., moral identity, complexity, and metacognitive ability) and moral conation (i.e., moral courage, efficacy, and ownership) enhance an individual's moral cognition and propensity to take ethical action. We offer propositions to guide future research and discuss the implications of the proposed model for management theory and practice. quently, our primary motivation for writing this article is to offer a comprehensive and testable theoretical framework to serve as the basis for guiding future research and practice concerning the moral capacities needed to process a moral challenge from recognition to action. We suggest below that there is a need for a new and expanded theory of moral1 development that better explains how individuals consider and act on moral dilemmas and temptations. Yet we realize our position will not be accepted without challenge, since some may believe the "gold standard" already exists in the well-known cognitive development models of

Ethical Leadership and Employee Moral Voice: The Mediating Role of Moral Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Leader–Follower Value Congruence

“…There exists ample empirical evidence supporting the role of efficacy beliefs across levels of analysis (Gully et al 2002;Stajkovic et al 2009;Stajkovic and Luthans 1998). As a kind of efficacy belief specifically related to moral behavior, moral efficacy is expected to influence moral voice because one's belief that he or she can effectively handle what is necessary to attain moral performance helps him/her to actually express his/her concerns about moral issues (Hannah et al 2011). At the same time, moral efficacy can be an important cognitive pathway mediating the effect of ethical leaders' behaviors on followers' moral voice.…”

“…Although a few recent studies have provided some evidence that ethical leadership is functional in reducing employees' unethical behaviors (Mayer et al 2012;Schaubroeck et al 2012), ethical behaviors cannot be equated with the reverse of unethical behaviors. Reduced unethical behaviors do not necessarily mean increased ethical behaviors; instead, they can be independent of each other, albeit correlated (Hannah et al 2011). Therefore, it seems warranted to examine whether ethical leadership is indeed effective in its essential function-promoting employees' ethical behaviors.…”

“…Moral efficacy is defined as ''an individual's belief in his or her capabilities to organize and mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources, means, and courses of action needed to attain moral performance, within a given moral domain'' (Hannah et al 2011, p. 675). Although no study to our knowledge has examined its role in the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical behaviors, moral efficacy is proposed to be a significant psychological determinant regarding the levels of moral motivation and moral action (Hannah et al 2011). We examine the extent to which ethical leadership works through moral efficacy to influence moral voice.…”

Preparing accounting students for ethical decision making: Developing individual codes of conduct based on personal values

“…Please cite this article in press as: Norman T. Sheehan Hannah et al (2011) propose that the ability to effectively address each of Rest et al's (1999) ethical decision making processes (moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation, and moral action) is influenced by the six factors outlined in the ovals at the top of the diagram. The first oval is moral complexity, which is defined as the ability of an individual to recognize ethical dilemmas.…”

“…The first oval is moral complexity, which is defined as the ability of an individual to recognize ethical dilemmas. Higher levels of moral complexity mean the individual has a richer comprehension of the ethical issues, which heighten an individual's moral sensitivity and moral judgment (Hannah et al, 2011). The second oval contains metacognitive ability, which is the capacity to appropriately select, apply, and regulate the ethical reasoning skills required to resolve ethical dilemmas.…”