December 2019
Article
Psychological Science

The Ethical Perils of Personal, Communal Relations: A Language Perspective

By: Maryam Kouchaki, Francesca Gino and Yuval Feldman

Format:Print

Abstract

The current paper focuses on how the type of relationship that exists between a group and its members influences misconduct by fostering certain perceptions of the group. Using multiple methods, lab- and field-based experiments (N = 1,679), and a large dataset of S&P firms, we explore one of the most basic questions of enforcement: whether to manage individuals’ conduct using impersonal language (“employees/members”) or personal, communal language (“we”). Our results demonstrate a robust effect of a communal relationship (as compared to an exchange relationship) influencing perceptions of a group’s warmth, which in turn increases levels of dishonesty among members.

Keywords

Language; Codes Of Conduct; Ethics; Communication; Perception; Behavior

Citation

Kouchaki, Maryam, Francesca Gino, and Yuval Feldman. "The Ethical Perils of Personal, Communal Relations: A Language Perspective." Psychological Science 30, no. 12 (December 2019): 1745–1766.