TY - JOUR
T1 - Collaborative Cheating in Hierarchical Teams
T2 - Effects of Incentive Structure and Leader Behavior on Subordinate Behavior and Perceptions of Leaders
AU - Karg, Simon Tobias Schulz
AU - Kim, Minjae
AU - Mitkidis, Panagiotis
AU - Young, Liane
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - What facilitates collaborative cheating in hierarchical teams, and what are its outcomes for those engaged? In two preregistered studies (N = 724), we investigated how subordinates are influenced by leaders signaling a willingness to engage in collaborative cheating, and how subordinates perceive such leaders. Participants performed a task in which they could either report their performance honestly, or cheat for financial gain. Each participant was assigned a leader who could choose to check the report’s veracity. In Study 1, leaders who checked less often were perceived as more moral, trustworthy, competent, and psychologically closer than leaders who checked more often. This trustworthiness bonus translated to investments in a subsequent trust game. Study 2 revealed that these relationship benefits specifically arise for collaborative cheating, compared to competitive cheating (at the leader’s expense). We conclude that collaborative cheating in subordinate–leader dyads strengthens in-group bonds, bringing people closer together and cultivating trust.
AB - What facilitates collaborative cheating in hierarchical teams, and what are its outcomes for those engaged? In two preregistered studies (N = 724), we investigated how subordinates are influenced by leaders signaling a willingness to engage in collaborative cheating, and how subordinates perceive such leaders. Participants performed a task in which they could either report their performance honestly, or cheat for financial gain. Each participant was assigned a leader who could choose to check the report’s veracity. In Study 1, leaders who checked less often were perceived as more moral, trustworthy, competent, and psychologically closer than leaders who checked more often. This trustworthiness bonus translated to investments in a subsequent trust game. Study 2 revealed that these relationship benefits specifically arise for collaborative cheating, compared to competitive cheating (at the leader’s expense). We conclude that collaborative cheating in subordinate–leader dyads strengthens in-group bonds, bringing people closer together and cultivating trust.
KW - collaborative corruption
KW - ethical decision-making
KW - moral psychology
KW - person perception
KW - trust
KW - Motivation
KW - Deception
KW - Humans
KW - Trust
KW - Morals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131205905&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01461672221090859
DO - 10.1177/01461672221090859
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35621699
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 49
SP - 1166
EP - 1183
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
IS - 8
ER -