Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees

Organizational dissent refers to employees’ expression of disagreement or opposing views on organizational policies and practices. Such dissent typically arises from employees’ contradictory opinions regarding company policies, procedures, and practices. An organization’s ethical climate reflecting...

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Main Author: Çiğdem Kaya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academic Research and Publishing UG (AR&P) 2024-10-01
Series:Business Ethics and Leadership
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Online Access:https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_6.pdf
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author Çiğdem Kaya
author_facet Çiğdem Kaya
author_sort Çiğdem Kaya
collection DOAJ
description Organizational dissent refers to employees’ expression of disagreement or opposing views on organizational policies and practices. Such dissent typically arises from employees’ contradictory opinions regarding company policies, procedures, and practices. An organization’s ethical climate reflecting employees' shared perceptions regarding company policies, practices, and procedures can significantly influence how and when dissent is expressed. This study investigates the impact of ethical climate on organizational dissent by analyzing data from 356 white-collar employees across various industries in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected using convenience sampling and analyzed using SPSS statistics software program. Reliability, factor, correlation and regression analysis were performed on the obtained data, and hypothesis was tested. The findings reveal that specific dimensions of ethical climate distinctly shape dissent behaviors. The 'laws and professional codes' dimension, which emphasizes adherence to formal standards, is positively associated with constructive articulated dissent, where employees directly and openly express concerns. In contrast, the “personal morality” dimension negatively contributes to questioning articulated dissent, suggesting that high individual ethical standards may discourage critical questioning of organizational practices. Additionally, an ethical climate marked by “friendship” negatively contributes to displaced dissent, where employees are less likely to voice complaints to external parties or indirect channels. These insights offer valuable implications for managers seeking to create an ethical climate that fosters constructive dissent while minimizing potentially harmful forms of discontent, promoting a culture of openness and trust.
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spelling doaj-art-d64c8312a5204162af4ce0545c2c429e2025-01-15T12:28:10ZengAcademic Research and Publishing UG (AR&P)Business Ethics and Leadership2520-67612520-63112024-10-0184829410.61093/bel.8(4).82-94.2024Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar EmployeesÇiğdem Kaya0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8307-3501Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., Dr., Department of International Trade and Finance, Istanbul Kültür University, TurkeyOrganizational dissent refers to employees’ expression of disagreement or opposing views on organizational policies and practices. Such dissent typically arises from employees’ contradictory opinions regarding company policies, procedures, and practices. An organization’s ethical climate reflecting employees' shared perceptions regarding company policies, practices, and procedures can significantly influence how and when dissent is expressed. This study investigates the impact of ethical climate on organizational dissent by analyzing data from 356 white-collar employees across various industries in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected using convenience sampling and analyzed using SPSS statistics software program. Reliability, factor, correlation and regression analysis were performed on the obtained data, and hypothesis was tested. The findings reveal that specific dimensions of ethical climate distinctly shape dissent behaviors. The 'laws and professional codes' dimension, which emphasizes adherence to formal standards, is positively associated with constructive articulated dissent, where employees directly and openly express concerns. In contrast, the “personal morality” dimension negatively contributes to questioning articulated dissent, suggesting that high individual ethical standards may discourage critical questioning of organizational practices. Additionally, an ethical climate marked by “friendship” negatively contributes to displaced dissent, where employees are less likely to voice complaints to external parties or indirect channels. These insights offer valuable implications for managers seeking to create an ethical climate that fosters constructive dissent while minimizing potentially harmful forms of discontent, promoting a culture of openness and trust.https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_6.pdfemployee perceptionsethical climateistanbulorganizational dissentorganizational policieswhile-collar employees
spellingShingle Çiğdem Kaya
Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
Business Ethics and Leadership
employee perceptions
ethical climate
istanbul
organizational dissent
organizational policies
while-collar employees
title Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
title_full Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
title_fullStr Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
title_full_unstemmed Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
title_short Ethical Climate and Organizational Dissent: Insights from White-Collar Employees
title_sort ethical climate and organizational dissent insights from white collar employees
topic employee perceptions
ethical climate
istanbul
organizational dissent
organizational policies
while-collar employees
url https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_6.pdf
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