A trait activation theory lens on hospitality employees’ ethicality at work: Unveiling the dark side of error tolerance

IF 9.9 1区管理学 Q1 HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM

International Journal of Hospitality Management Pub Date : 2025-06-03 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104260

Xingyu Wang , Aysin Pasamehmetoglu , Osman M. Karatepe , Fevzi Okumus

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Abstract

While literature on ethicality among hospitality employees is emerging, understanding the context within which individuals choose to behave ethically or unethically is still in its infancy. Taking a holistic “person-environment” view, this paper draws upon the trait activation theory (TAT) to examine the impact of Machiavellianism as an individual disposition on employees’ moral disengagement as well as ethicality-related behaviors, contingent on perceived error tolerance at work. The results from multi-wave and multi-source data collected among employees in fine dining rooms reveal that employees high on Machiavellianism are more likely to be morally disengaged when they perceive a higher level of error tolerance. Furthermore, this moral disengagement subsequently results in creative unethical behavior but lessens rule compliance. Implications for business practices are provided, along with suggested directions for future research.

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特质激活理论视角下的酒店员工职业道德：揭露容错的阴暗面

虽然关于酒店员工道德的文献正在兴起，但了解个人选择道德或不道德行为的背景仍处于起步阶段。本文采用整体的“人-环境”观点，利用特质激活理论（TAT）来研究马基雅维利主义作为一种个人倾向对员工道德脱离和伦理相关行为的影响，这取决于工作中的感知错误容错。从高级餐厅员工中收集的多波、多源数据的结果显示，当马基雅维利主义程度高的员工感知到更高的容错水平时，他们更有可能在道德上脱离。此外，这种道德脱离随后导致创造性的不道德行为，但减少了规则遵守。提供了对商业实践的启示，以及对未来研究的建议方向。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Hospitality Management HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM-

CiteScore

21.20

自引率

9.40%

发文量

218

审稿时长

85 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Hospitality Management serves as a platform for discussing significant trends and advancements in various disciplines related to the hospitality industry. The publication covers a wide range of topics, including human resources management, consumer behavior and marketing, business forecasting and applied economics, operational management, strategic management, financial management, planning and design, information technology and e-commerce, training and development, technological developments, and national and international legislation. In addition to covering these topics, the journal features research papers, state-of-the-art reviews, and analyses of business practices within the hospitality industry. It aims to provide readers with valuable insights and knowledge in order to advance research and improve practices in the field. The journal is also indexed and abstracted in various databases, including the Journal of Travel Research, PIRA, Academic Journal Guide, Documentation Touristique, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Abstracts, Lodging and Restaurant Index, Scopus, CIRET, and the Social Sciences Citation Index. This ensures that the journal's content is widely accessible and discoverable by researchers and practitioners in the hospitality field.