Academy of Management Journal 2013, Vol. 56, No. 4, 1002–1023. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0960

POWER, MORAL CLARITY, AND PUNISHMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
SCOTT S. WILTERMUTH University of Southern California FRANCIS J. FLYNN Stanford University
We propose that power increases how severely people punish transgressors. Further, we argue that this greater severity stems from an increased sense of moral clarity instilled by the psychological experience of power. We investigate the linkages among power, moral clarity, and punishment across multiple studies. Individuals with an increased sense of power advocated more severe punishments for transgressors than did those with a diminished sense of power. Further, moral clarity mediated the link between power and severity of punishment. We discuss the implications of these findings for managers in organizations and researchers interested in punitive reactions to moral transgressions.

Ethical standards of professional conduct often are implicit or tacitly held (Flynn & Wiltermuth, 2010; Haidt, 2001; Turiel, 2002), making it difficult for members of organizations to know which types of behavior are permissible and which are not (Treviño, 1986). Although many employees can and do seek guidance on moral matters from colleagues (Treviño, 1990), the advice they receive often varies according to whom they ask. Coworkers can send mixed signals about what constitutes morally appropriate behavior. Indeed, the viewpoints expressed by top management frequently differ from those expressed by immediate supervisors, close peers, or even an organization’s formal code of conduct (Jones & Ryan, 1997; Tenbrunsel, Smith-Crowe, & Umphress, 2003). Given this ambiguity surrounding ethical standards in the workplace, it may seem prudent for managers to refrain from punishing others harshly for their moral transgressions. When managers are