New research from The University of Western Australia indicates that rigid and centralized decision-making processes could be negatively impacting the perception of highly conscientious employees. These individuals are known for their diligence, productivity, and ethical behavior.
The study sheds light on the ongoing struggle within organizations to strike a balance between flexibility and formalization. This dilemma has significant implications not only for highly conscientious employees but also for their supervisors and colleagues.
Strong ethical standards
According to the study, conscientious employees not only demonstrate high levels of productivity but also maintain rigorous ethical standards. This is often attributed to their willingness to speak up and address concerns within the organization.
“However, our findings based on a matched sample of employees, their supervisors, and peers indicates a potential blind spot in how conscientious individuals are perceived by their peers, particularly in organizations with highly centralized decision-making policies and practices,” the researchers explain.
According to the researchers, in workplaces where decisions primarily come from supervisors, peers tend to become accustomed to changes initiated by higher-ups. This dynamic can lead them to overlook the valuable suggestions for improvement offered by their highly conscientious colleagues.
Doing the right thing
“We expect highly conscientious peers to do the right thing, but if we don’t see it, it can undermine our impressions of their ethicality because there is such a strong norm of how decisions are made,” they say.
“So, even though the hardworking person is doing the right thing by being responsible and trying to make things better, their peers might not see it that way.
“This lack of recognition of conscientious employees’ contributions might inadvertently lead to perceptions of lower ethicality among these employees—their efforts to do good ‘hidden’ in workplaces where supervisors make most of the decisions.”
The study highlights the persistent challenges encountered by HR professionals as they strive to strike a balance between granting flexibility in work methods and upholding formal rules and procedures.
“This balance can be difficult to achieve, especially when considering different workplace dynamics and the need to ensure fairness, productivity, efficiency, and ethicality,” the authors conclude.
“Our hope is that, by offering insights into the intricate dynamics of personality traits and ethical perceptions within organizational settings, we can help pave the way for more informed HR practices and organizational policies.
“It’s important we don’t inadvertently penalize the very employees many HR practices strategically seek to identify, select, retain and develop.”
