BEYOND THE BIG FIVE: DISPOSITION AND PERSONALITY IN PREDICTING DISHONEST DECISIONS IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This study analyzes the predictive power, with regard to dishonest decisions in organizational contexts, of the locus of control and the tendency towards risk regarding the effect of the Five Big personality factors. 305 North American student workers took part, 63% of whom were women, with an average age of 23.6 years (DE = 7.0), In the first stage, the participants personality characteristics were measured. In the second stage, they were asked, in the framework of a hypothetical business trip paid for by their company, to decide whether or not they would apply to the organization for reimbursement of expenses fr things used for evidently non-business reasons. Additionally, certain justifications that could have influenced their decision on whether or not to behave dishonestly were measured. Using a logistical regression, it was shown that the responsibility factor, the locus of control and the trend towards risk significantly explain the type of decision made by the participants. Subsequently, it was found that the type of justification employed mediates the relations. hip between the locus of control and the decision. The results confirm the need to include additional personality variables to explain certain behaviors within organizations, as well as the effect of the group context on making dishonest decisions.