Moral repair versus punishment: influences on managerial responses

Purpose The current management literature suggests that when employees engage in wrongdoing, managers typically respond with punishment. emerging moral repair an alternative to punishment: a reparative response focuses on repairing harm and restoring damaged relationships. However, little is currently known about restorative managerial responses, including why employee wrongdoing versus punitive manner. purpose of this paper examine variety cognitive emotional influences decision. Design/methodology/approach This study used scenario-based survey methodology. authors gathered data from 894 sales financial services contexts test set hypotheses regarding individual-level managers’ responses. Findings found justice orientation, retributive social considerations (e.g. are relatively interdependent independent), instrumental the offender highly valuable organization) feelings anger influenced their Research limitations/implications Data cross-sectional, so causality inferences should be approached caution. Another potential limitation common method bias due single-source single-wave data. Practical implications findings show often opt for workplace transgressions, surfaces reasons choose instead response. Social order expectations within workplace. important victims, offenders, observers, other stakeholders. seeks emphasize importance factors, shared identity, bonds relationships manuscript. component organizational-focused research. Originality/value first study, best authors’ knowledge, explicitly responses wrongdoing.