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Journal of Business Ethics
Published in: Journal of Business Ethics 4/2021

11-10-2019 | Original Paper

To Erect Temples to Virtue: Effects of State Mindfulness on Other-Focused Ethical Behaviors

Authors: Davide C. Orazi, Jiemiao Chen, Eugene Y. Chan

Published in: Journal of Business Ethics | Issue 4/2021

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Abstract

While prior research suggests a link between mindfulness and ethical decision-making, most of the evidence for this link is correlational and refers to self-focused ethical behaviors. The paucity of experimental evidence, coupled with a lack of clarity on what mechanisms underlie the effect, limits our understanding of whether and how mindfulness might foster other-focused ethical behaviors. In this research, we hypothesize that state mindfulness might promote other-focused ethical behaviors by increasing resourcefulness, which we define as a perceived state of resource abundance. Across four experimental studies, we report causal evidence for the effects of state mindfulness instantiated through brief mindful meditation exercises on other-focused ethical behaviors, including choice of fair-trade products (Study 1A), charitable giving (Study 1B), and volunteering (Study 1C and Study 2). Resourcefulness mediates the effects of mindfulness on other-focused ethical behaviors (Study 2). Our work answers the call for more experimental research on mindfulness and its important implications for ethical decision-making.
previous article Don’t Pass Them By: Figuring the Sacred in Organizational Values Work

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Appendix
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Metadata
Title
To Erect Temples to Virtue: Effects of State Mindfulness on Other-Focused Ethical Behaviors
Authors
Davide C. Orazi
Jiemiao Chen
Eugene Y. Chan
Publication date
11-10-2019
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Journal of Business Ethics / Issue 4/2021
Print ISSN: 0167-4544
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0697
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04296-4

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