THE EFFECT OF ETHICAL SIGNALS ON RECRUITMENT ...

Cognitive Moral Development
The next moderating variable of interest is cognitive moral development (CMD),
which was introduced by Lawrence Kohlberg (1969; Trevino, 1986). Researchers have
found cognitive moral development to be a strong predictor of unethical behavior r = -
.38 (Gephart, Harrison, & Trevino, 2007). CMD has been used to better understand the
differential reasoning processes of individuals and their moral decision making (Brown
& Trevino, 2006). Kohlberg delineates six stages of moral development (detailed in
Chapter II), with higher stages representing more morally developed individuals. Those
who are at the higher stages of development are more likely to show concern for others,
place value on fairness, and behave more ethically (Brown & Trevino, 2006). In other
words, higher moral reasoning is better (Weber & Gillespie, 2001).
As it relates to the job seeker, the more morally developed the individual, the
more likely they are to detect and be influenced by ethical signals from the
organizational and recruitment practices. Individuals with higher CMD (especially at
Stages 5 & 6) tend to look beyond just following the law or codes of conduct and form
their own views on ethical issues. In other words, individuals with higher CMD
(compared to those with lower CMD) will be more likely to recognize and respect
ethical signals that extend beyond complying with legal constraints (such as corporate
social responsibility activities). Because individuals with higher CMD have more
sophisticated “standards” of ethical behavior, they will be more likely to attend to these
ethical signals (if they exist), and they will be more attracted to the organization. Thus, I
hypothesize the following:
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