scholarly journals The role of moral disengagement and animal empathy in the meat paradox

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Camilleri ◽  
Peter Richard Gill ◽  
Andrew Jago

Current levels of meat consumption are environmentally unsustainable and cause suffering to billions of animals each year. Researchers have sought to understand the psychological mechanisms driving people’s meat consumption. Research suggests that having empathy towards animals may reduce a person’s meat consumption, however, an empathic response does not always result in action (the “meat paradox”). It may be that some people ‘disengage’ from their animal related morality when consuming meat. The current study aimed to test whether moral disengagement mediated the relationship between animal empathy and meat consumption. A total of 302 participants (18 to 70 years, 55.3% female) completed the Animal Empathy Scale, Moral Disengagement in Meat Questionnaire, and the Meat Consumption Scale. Results supported the mediation model, whereby high empathy for animals appeared to reduce one’s capacity to disengage with their morality, resulting in lower meat consumption. This study was the first to investigate the dual role of animal empathy and moral disengagement in meat consumption. We conclude that moral disengagement is a possible explanation for the meat paradox.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Erkutlu ◽  
Jamel Chafra

PurposeThis study aims to build a moderated mediation model to investigate the roles that trust in the leader and follower Machiavellianism can play in the relationship between moral disengagement of the leader and hiding of knowledge of the followers.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered from eight universities in Turkey using a set of 72 matched leader (dean)–follower (faculty member) questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested with multiple regression, moderated regression and bootstrapping analyses.FindingsThe findings reveal that leader moral disengagement positively influences follower knowledge hiding, while trust in the leader mediates this influence and follower Machiavellianism not only moderates the relationship between leader moral disengagement and trust in the leader but also reduces the indirect relationship between leader moral disengagement and follower knowledge hiding through trust in the leader.Research limitations/implicationsEven though measurements of research variables were collected from different sources and with time separation, common method bias might have existed. Also, this research is carried out in a single cultural context posing the issue of the generalizability of our findings to other cultural contexts.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is to construct and investigate a conceptual model that focuses on the possible effect of moral disengagement of the leader on knowledge hiding by the followers. Also, by supporting the mediating role of trust in the leader, this research reveals that followers of leaders with high moral disengagement are more prone to indulge in the hiding of knowledge. Moreover, the moderating role of follower Machiavellianism, found in this study, provides an additional understanding that followers may vary in the degree to which they are sensitive to the leader's influence.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanzhao Tang ◽  
Xuemei Zhan ◽  
Ken Chen

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of differential leadership on organizational corruption by developing a measure of organizational corruption and proposing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of moral disengagement underpinning the relationship between differential leadership and organizational corruption, and the moderating role of organizational justice in influencing the mediation. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected 210 responses from online participants with full time work experience and 57 MBA students answered the survey offline. Findings Results showed that differential leadership was positively associated with organizational corruption. Furthermore, moral disengagement fully mediated the relationship between differential leadership and organizational corruption. Besides, distributive justice negatively but procedural justice positively moderated the indirect effect of moral disengagement. Research limitations/implications Testing the moderated mediation model helps to advance the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the effect of differential leadership on organizational corrupt behavior. Originality/value This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of moral disengagement in the positive relationship between differential leadership and organizational corruption. The mediated moderation also extends the finding by adding organizational justice as the moderator to explain how the effect of differential leadership on organizational corruption. Finally, this study provides initial evidence for organizational corruption measure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-282
Author(s):  
Vijay Kuriakose ◽  
Sreejesh S ◽  
Heerah Jose

This study examines the role of negative affect state and relationship conflict in explaining the association between two types of work-related conflicts namely, task and process conflicts; and employee well-being. Drawing from affective events theory and social attribution theory, the study hypothesizes a mediation model in which task and process conflicts are negatively associated with employee well-being through negative affect state and relationship conflict. While examining this model, the study establishes the inter-linkage between task, process conflicts and employee well-being and identifies two pathways to explain these relationships. Based on a sample of 554 IT employees from India, the study found support for the mediation model in which negative affect state and relationship conflict mediates the relationship between two types of conflict and employee well-being. Findings of the present study contribute to the theory by extending our understanding of the effect of task and process conflicts on employee well-being and also explains how it impairs well-being. The current insights will help managers and practitioners to design interventions to mitigate the detrimental effect of task and process conflicts on employee well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1263-1272
Author(s):  
Yirui Song ◽  
Lei Wang

To explore the relationship and mechanism of school loose-tight culture to middle school bullying, a total of 808 students were selected from three middle schools in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province of China, to conduct a questionnaire survey. The study used the school loose-tight culture scale, the collective moral disengagement scale, the collective efficacy scale, and the bullying scale for middle school students. The results showed that (i) school loose-tight culture significantly predicted the occurrence of school bullying; (ii) school loose-tight culture was significantly negatively correlated with collective moral disengagement and school bullying but positively correlated with collective efficacy. Further, collective moral disengagement was significantly positively correlated with school bullying, but collective efficacy was significantly negatively correlated with school bullying; (iii) school loose-tight culture inhibited school bullying through the dual mediating effects of collective moral disengagement and collective efficacy at the same time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-183
Author(s):  
Ahmet Erdem ◽  
Fuad Bakioğlu

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediator role of moral disengagement in the relationship between gender roles and dating violence. Participants were 425 university students [310 (72.9%) female, 115 (27.1%) male, Mage = 20.68 years, SD = 2.21] who completed questionnaires package involving the Gender Roles Attitudes Scale, the Attitudes toward Dating Violence Scales, and the Moral Disengagement Scale. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. A bootstrapping analysis was conducted in order to determine any indirect effects. The results showed that gender roles predicted moral disengagement and dating violence negatively, and that moral disengagement predicted dating violence positively. It was further found that the structural equation model that proposed that gender roles had a direct and an indirect effect through moral disengagement on dating violence was confirmed. The results of the study were discussed in the light of relevant literature, and suggestions for future studies were made.


2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 472-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kong Zhou ◽  
Wenxing Liu ◽  
Mingze Li ◽  
Zhihui Cheng ◽  
Xiaofei Hu

Drawing on the framework of human energy in organizations, this study proposed a moderated mediation model between narcissism and taking charge, as well as the role of energy at work and the employee’s hierarchy within organizations. A sample of 312 employees at one Chinese manufacturing company suggested that employees with narcissistic personality are more apt to exhibit taking charge at work via their energy at work. In addition, the results also indicated that employees’ hierarchical level within organization reinforced the indirect effect of energy at work between narcissism and taking charge. These findings have important implications for narcissism research and managerial practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 1333-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Yim ◽  
Young Han Bae ◽  
Hyunwoo Lim ◽  
JaeHwan Kwon

Purpose The authors use signaling theory in proposing a conceptual framework that simultaneously incorporates both the mediating effects of corporate reputation (CR) and the moderating effects of marketing capability (MC) into the corporate social responsibility (CSR)–corporate financial performance (CFP) link and theorize a single moderated mediation model. The empirical results of the research confirm the theorized moderated mediation model among the four variables, where a firm’s CR plays a mediating role in the relationship between CSR and CFP, and a firm’s MC moderates the effect of CSR on CR exclusively in the first link. Both theoretical and practical implications of the moderated mediation model are discussed. Design/methodology/approach This study uses structural equation model estimations with the relevant secondary datasets collected from publicly available databases. Findings The empirical results confirm the theorized moderated mediation model in the conceptual framework that uses signaling theory. Specifically, the results identify the moderating role of MC in only the CSR- CR link (but not in the CR and CFP link), such that CR plays a moderated mediation role in the CSR–CFP link. Research limitations/implications The current research is not without limitations. These limitations mainly stem from data sets used in the empirical analyses. More details are discussed in the limitations and future research directions section. Practical implications The empirical findings suggest that a firm needs to develop a consolidated CSR-marketing program, simultaneously satisfying stakeholders’ needs for both the firm’s socially desirable business practices and value-creating marketing programs to increase its CR, which will, in turn, lead to better profitability for the firm. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current research is the first to use signaling theory in building a conceptual framework that theorizes a moderated mediation model regarding the simultaneous effects of CR and MC on the relationship between CSR and CFP and to empirically test this conceptual framework of the single moderated mediation model. By doing so, the current research clarifies an unanswered question in the literature of whether the underlying mechanism in the CSR–CFP link is based on a mediated moderation or moderated mediation of CR and MC.


Author(s):  
Nitika Sharma ◽  
Madan Lal ◽  
Pankaj Deshwal

The article theoretically explores and empirically examines the relationship between spiritually motivated environmentalism (SME) and green purchasing intentions (GPI). Also, the mediating role of psychographic variables, namely environmental self-efficacy (ESE), environmental locus of control (ELOC), and environmental empathy (EE), were tested on the SME and GPI. A total of 223 Indian respondents filled out the administered questionnaire to validate the hypothesis, and collected data were analysed using SEM and Hayes's Parallel Multiple Mediation Model. The effect of SME was found significantly positive on GPI through ESE, ELOC, and EE. The findings from the study indicate that spirituality motivates green buying among consumers. Also, green purchasing augments in presence of consumers' self-efficacy, locus of control, and empathy towards environment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 798-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongdan Zhao

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation on team creativity by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of relationship conflict in linking LMX differentiation with team creativity and the moderating role of team-member exchange (TMX) median in influencing the mediation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors tested the model with a time-lagged field survey data from 358 employees and 98 supervisors belonging to 98 teams in a large diversified company with more than 15,000 employees, based in Shanghai, Southeastern China. In the first stage (T1), employees assessed LMX, TMX, relationship conflict, and control variables. In the second stage (T2), the leaders were asked to report team creativity. Findings – Results indicated that the relationship between LMX differentiation and team creativity was mediated by relationship conflict. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed that relationship conflict mediated the relationship between LMX differentiation and team creativity for only those teams with low-TMX median. Research limitations/implications – Testing the moderated mediation model helps to advance our theoretical understanding of the intervening processes that underlie the effect of LMX differentiation on team creativity. The findings may also help Chinese managers to inform the importance of helping subordinates better adapt to LMX differentiation, reducing relationship conflict, and constructing high-quality TMX relationships within groups, in order to promote team creativity. Originality/value – This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of relationship conflict in the negative relationship between LMX differentiation and team creativity. The moderated mediation model also extends the existing finding by showing that not only the quality of social exchange relationships with a supervisor (i.e. LMX) but also with team members (i.e. TMX), can moderate the impact of LMX differentiation on team outcomes.


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