The Impact of Uncertainty on Selfish Workplace Behaviors: An Emotions Perspective

There has been a marked increase in the prevalence of selfish behaviors in organizations worldwide over the past few years and decades (Global Study on Business Ethics Survey, 2021), along with a simultaneous increase in the prevalence of uncertainty in the business environment. Drawing from Appraisal Tendency and Conservations of Resources theories, we present an integrative model that examines the impact of perceptions of uncertainty on individuals’ propensities to engage in unethical and competitive behaviors. We tested our hypotheses in three studies; Study 1 utilized a critical incident recall experiment in a sample of 321 working adults, Study 2 utilized an experimental vignette in a sample of 91 students with prior work experience, and Study 3 utilized an experimental vignette in a sample of 130 working adults. Results show that individuals are more likely to engage in unethical and competitive behaviors as a consequence of a fear-based response to perceptions of uncertainty. We further investigate the mechanism through which fear elicits these effects.