A model of influences on ethical decision-making: Individual and situational effects.

Abstract

Key terms. Integrity, ethical decision-making, individual characteristics, situational characteristics. Understanding the influences on ethical decision-making is critical to developing interventions targeted at improving ethical decisions of researchers. However, little empirical research is available that has directly tested a model of individual and situational influences on ethical decision-making. Using a sample of 246 graduate students, 22 models of individual and situational influences on ethical decision-making were tested. These models are a mixture of direct influences, partially and fully mediated models, and moderated models. Using a relevant theoretical framework and appropriate fit indices, an individual and situational influences model is supported. The implications for research and practice based upon the supported model are discussed.