Moral disengagement and ethical decision making: The moderating role of trait guilt and shame.
Abstract. Process focused models of ethical decision making (EDM) have focused on individual and situational constraints influencing EDM processes and outcomes. Trait affect and propensity to morally disengage are two individual factors that influence EDM. The current study examines the moderating role of dispositional guilt and shame on the relationship between moral disengagement and EDM. Results indicate that moderate and high levels of dispositional guilt attenuate the negative relationship between moral disengagement and EDM, while low guilt does not. Dispositional shame does not moderate the relationship between moral disengagement and EDM. Implications for personnel selection are discussed.