THE EFFECT OF ETHICAL SIGNALS ON RECRUITMENT ...

embedded religious beliefs would be more influenced by ethical signals from the
organization than individuals who do not have deep religious beliefs.
Another individual difference variable that would be interesting to study in future
research is “ethical sensitivity.” This is a term used to describe the degree to which
individuals perceive that there is an ethical issue involved (Hunt & Vitell, 1986).
Although this variable has not received much attention in the literature, it may have
important implications for the work on ethical signals because individuals who are
highly ethically sensitive may be more attuned to ethical signals from the organization
while individuals who are low in ethical sensitivity may not. This is an especially
important area for future research considering that perceptions of the organization as
ethical was found to be an important mediator. Perceptions make up the individual’s
reality; if they are not ethically sensitive and their perceptions are not altered by ethical
signals, then how can they be affected by them?
Relatedly, another fruitful area for future research might be distinguishing among
the different types of ethical signals and their effect on individuals. For example, ethical
signals that are purely legal issues (i.e., hazardous waste violations) may have a different
effect than ethical signals that are generally not considered illegal (i.e., lying to clients).
Do the different types of signals carry equal weights with applicants? Does it depend on
the individual difference variables described above?
Future ethics researchers should look beyond recruitment for other important (yet
unexplored) consequences of ethical behavior. Ethical signals can be disseminated after
starting a new job. For example, ethical signals are sent via management and co-worker
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