The Effects of Moral Intensity and Moral Disengagement on Rule Violations: Occupational Safety in UK-based Construction Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
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| Title: | The Effects of Moral Intensity and Moral Disengagement on Rule Violations: Occupational Safety in UK-based Construction Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic. |
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| Authors: | Mann, Claire1 (AUTHOR) Claire.mann@manchester.ac.uk, Clarke, Sharon2 (AUTHOR) Sharon.clarke@manchester.ac.uk, Johnson, Sheena3 (AUTHOR) Sheena.johnson@manchester.ac.uk |
| Source: | Journal of Business Ethics. May2025, Vol. 198 Issue 2, p243-262. 20p. |
| Subject Terms: | *COVID-19 pandemic, *Decision making, Professional ethics, Moral disengagement, Construction industry, Industrial safety, Employee rules |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom |
| Abstract: | We take an ethics theory perspective to examine rule violations and workarounds in the UK construction industry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK construction sector remained largely operational during lockdowns in the UK, providing an opportunity to explore the ways in which construction workers made ethical decisions in situ, related to health and safety at work, and COVID-19 rules. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with participants from 11 organisations (3 major construction companies and 8 subcontractors) during November 2021 to January 2022. Our qualitative analysis focused on coding responses based on the use of moral disengagement tactics, and the dimensions of moral intensity (magnitude of consequences, social consensus, probability of effect, temporal immediacy, proximity and, concentration of effect). We found instances of ethical dilemmas, including conflicts between compliance with organisational health and safety rules, and following COVID-19 rules. Our analysis showed that rule violations were often justified based on moral disengagement tactics, particularly cognitive reconstrual, obscuring personal agency, disregarding consequences and vilification of the victims. Furthermore, moral intensity played a significant role in making ethical decisions about violating rules. Moral intensity was most influential (across dimensions) for moral disengagement based on cognitive reconstrual (e.g., justifications for choosing to follow one set of rules over another). Social context was highly influential in workers' ethical decisions, including organisational and group social norms, but wider societal attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, also played a significant role. We discuss the implications for business ethics theory, policy and practice, including recommendations for businesses and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Business Ethics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 184520771 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: The Effects of Moral Intensity and Moral Disengagement on Rule Violations: Occupational Safety in UK-based Construction Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mann%2C+Claire%22">Mann, Claire</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> Claire.mann@manchester.ac.uk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Clarke%2C+Sharon%22">Clarke, Sharon</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> Sharon.clarke@manchester.ac.uk</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Johnson%2C+Sheena%22">Johnson, Sheena</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> Sheena.johnson@manchester.ac.uk</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Business+Ethics%22">Journal of Business Ethics</searchLink>. May2025, Vol. 198 Issue 2, p243-262. 20p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19+pandemic%22">COVID-19 pandemic</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+making%22">Decision making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+ethics%22">Professional ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moral+disengagement%22">Moral disengagement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Construction+industry%22">Construction industry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Industrial+safety%22">Industrial safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employee+rules%22">Employee rules</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom%22">United Kingdom</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: We take an ethics theory perspective to examine rule violations and workarounds in the UK construction industry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK construction sector remained largely operational during lockdowns in the UK, providing an opportunity to explore the ways in which construction workers made ethical decisions in situ, related to health and safety at work, and COVID-19 rules. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with participants from 11 organisations (3 major construction companies and 8 subcontractors) during November 2021 to January 2022. Our qualitative analysis focused on coding responses based on the use of moral disengagement tactics, and the dimensions of moral intensity (magnitude of consequences, social consensus, probability of effect, temporal immediacy, proximity and, concentration of effect). We found instances of ethical dilemmas, including conflicts between compliance with organisational health and safety rules, and following COVID-19 rules. Our analysis showed that rule violations were often justified based on moral disengagement tactics, particularly cognitive reconstrual, obscuring personal agency, disregarding consequences and vilification of the victims. Furthermore, moral intensity played a significant role in making ethical decisions about violating rules. Moral intensity was most influential (across dimensions) for moral disengagement based on cognitive reconstrual (e.g., justifications for choosing to follow one set of rules over another). Social context was highly influential in workers' ethical decisions, including organisational and group social norms, but wider societal attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, also played a significant role. We discuss the implications for business ethics theory, policy and practice, including recommendations for businesses and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Business Ethics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10551-024-05729-5 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 20 StartPage: 243 Subjects: – SubjectFull: COVID-19 pandemic Type: general – SubjectFull: Decision making Type: general – SubjectFull: Professional ethics Type: general – SubjectFull: Moral disengagement Type: general – SubjectFull: Construction industry Type: general – SubjectFull: Industrial safety Type: general – SubjectFull: Employee rules Type: general – SubjectFull: United Kingdom Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: The Effects of Moral Intensity and Moral Disengagement on Rule Violations: Occupational Safety in UK-based Construction Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mann, Claire – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Clarke, Sharon – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Johnson, Sheena IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 11 M: 05 Text: May2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 01674544 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 198 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Business Ethics Type: main |
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