Abstract
Results of a study investigating the relation between personality traits and ethical-orientation indicate sex is not an good predictor for differences in Machiavellian-, Type A personality- or ethical-orientation. Intelligence is found to be positively associated with Machiavellian- and Type A personality-orientation but negatively associated with ethical-orientation. Machiavellians tend to have Type A personalities, but tend to be less ethically-oriented than Nonmachiavellians. Type A personalities are more ethically-orientated than Type B personalities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Accounting Association, Committee on the Future Structure, Content, and Scope of Accounting Education (The Bedford Committee), Future Accounting Education: Preparing for the Expanding Profession, Issues in Accounting Education (Spring, 1986) pp. 168–195.
Armstrong, M.: 1987, ‘Moral Development and Accounting Education’, Journal of Accounting Education, 27–43.
Bartels, R.: 1967, ‘A Model for Ethics in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing 31, 20–26.
Bommer, M., C. Gratto, J. Gravander and M. Tuttle: 1987, ‘A Behavioral Model of Ethical and Unethical Decision Making’, Journal of Business Ethics 4, 265–280.
Bowie, N.: 1988, ‘Accountants, Full Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest’, Business & Professional Ethics Journal 5, 60–73.
Calhoon, R. P.: 1969, ‘Niccolo Machiavelli and the Twentieth Century Administrator’, Academy of Management Journal 2, 205–212.
Christie, R. and F. L. Geis: 1970, Studies in Machiavellianism (Academic Press, New York).
Davis, J. R. and R. E. Welton: 1991, ‘Professional Ethics: Business Students' Perceptions’, Journal of Business Ethics 6(10), 451–463.
Ferrell, O. C. and L. Gresham: 1985, ‘A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing 3(49), 87–96.
Fulmer, W. E. and B. R. Cargile: 1987, ‘Ethical Perceptions of Accounting Students: Does Exposure to a Code of Professional Ethics Help?’, Issues in Accounting Education 2(2), 207–219.
Gemmill, G. R. and W. J. Heisler: 1972, ‘Machiavellianism as a Factor in Managerial Job Strain, Job Satisfaction, and Upward Mobility’, Academy of Management Journal 1(15), 51–62.
Grant, E. W., Jr. and L. S. Broom: 1988, ‘Attitudes Toward Ethics: A View of the College Student’, Journal of Business Ethics 8, 617–619.
Hegarty, W. H. and H. P. Sims: 1978, ‘Some Determinants of Unethical Decision Behavior: An Experiment’, Journal of Applied Psychology 63(4), 451–457.
Heisler, W. J. and G. Gemmell: 1977, ‘Machiavellianism, Job Satisfaction, Job Strain, and Upward Mobility: Some Cross-Organizational Evidence’, Psychological Reports 2(41), 592–594.
Hite, R.E., J. A. Bellizzi and C. Fraser: 1988, ‘A Content Analysis of Ethical Policy Statements Regarding Marketing Activities’, Journal of Business Ethics 10(7), 771–776.
Hunt, S. D. and L. B. Chonko: 1984, ‘Marketing and Machiavellianism’, Journal of Marketing 48, 30–42.
Hunt, S. D. and S. A. Vitell: 1986, ‘General Theory of Marketing Ethics’, Journal of Macromarketing 1(6), 5–16.
Jeffrey, C.: 1993, ‘Ethical Development of Accounting Students, Non-Accounting Business Students and Liberal Arts Students’, Issues in Accounting Education 8(1), 86–96.
Johnson, P. E., S. Grazioli and K. Jamal: 1993, ‘Fraud Detection: Intentionality and Deception in Cognition’, Accounting, Organizations and Society 18(5), 467–488.
Merritt, S.: 1991, ‘Marketing Ethics and Education: Some Empirical Findings’, Journal of Business Ethics 8(10), 625–632.
Metzger, M. D., R. Dalton and J. W. Hill: 1993, ‘The Organization of Ethics and the Ethics of Organizations: The Case for Expanded Organizational Ethics Audits’, Business Ethics Quarterly 3, 27–43.
Nahavandi, A., P. J. Mizzi and A. R. Malekzadeh: 1992, ‘Executives' Type A Personality as a Determinant of Environmental Perception and Firm Strategy’, The Journal of Social Psychology 132, 59–67.
O'Flynn-Comiskey, A. I.: 1979, ‘The Type A Individual’, American Journal of Nursing, 1956–1959.
Ponemon, L. and A. Glazer: 1990, ‘Accounting Education and Ethical Development: The Influence of Liberal Learning on Students and Alumni in Accounting and Practice’, Issues in Accounting Education 5(2), 195–208.
Ponemon, L. A.: 1992, ‘Ethical Reasoning and Selection-Socialization in Accounting’, Accounting, Organizations and Society 17(3/4), 239–258.
Robin, D. P. and R. E. Reidenback: 1988, ‘A Framework for Analyzing Ethical Issues in Marketing’, Business and Professional Ethics Journal 2(5), 4–25.
Robinson, J. P. and R. Shaver: 1973, Measurement of Social Psychological Attitudes (Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, MI).
Siegel, J. P.: 1973, ‘Machiavellianism, MBA's and Managers: Leadership Correlates and Socialization Effects’, Academy of Management Journal 3(16), 404–412.
Singhapakdi, A.: 1993, ‘Ethical Perceptions of Marketers: The Interaction Effects of Machiavellianism and Organizational Ethical Culture’, Journal of Business Ethics 5(12), 407–418.
Singhapakdi, A. and S. J. Vitell: 1990, ‘Marketing Ethics: Factors Influencing Perceptions of Ethical Problems and Alternatives’, Journal of Macromarketing 1(10), 4–17.
Strube, M. J. and C. Werner: 1985, ‘Relinquishment of Control and the Type A Behavior Pattern’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 48, 688–701.
Touhey, J. C.: 1993, ‘Intelligence, Machiavellianism and Social Mobility’, British Journal of the Society of Clinical Psychologist 1(12), 34–37.
The Wall Street Journal: 1992, ‘Type A Mothers Are More Likely to Have Children With Their Personality Traits’, 72 N. 100 (March 5), p. B1.
Weaver, K. M. and O. C. Ferrell: 1977, ‘The Impact of Corporate Policy on Reported Ethical Beliefs and Behavior of Marketing Practitioners’, in B. A. Greenberg and D. N. Bellenger (eds.), Contemporary Marketing Thought (American Marketing Association, Chicago, IL), pp. 477–481.
Whipple, T. W. and D. D. Wolf: 1991, ‘Judgements of Marketing Students about Ethical Issues in Marketing Research: A Comparison to Marketing Practitioners’, Journal of Marketing Education, pp. 56–63.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
John Michael Rayburn is Professor of Marketing, The University of Tennessee at Martin. He earned his DBA and has extensive experience in the health care industry as administrator of a 1,000 bed hospital; a 174 bed state psychiatric hospital; and President and CEO of a 200 bed hospital system. He has numerous articles and presentations and is a member of several professional organizations. He has recently received two outstanding teaching awards [student and faculty vote], the outstanding service award [faculty vote], and excellence in research awards [outside peer review]. He has recently implemented a business ethics course in the school of business administration.
Letricia Gayle Rayburn, is Professor of Accountancy, Southeast Missouri State University College of Business Administration. She is also a Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst. She earned a Ph.D. in Accountancy and has had both public and industrial accounting experience. She is the author of over 120 published professional articles. Her book Cost Accounting: Cost Management Concepts, is published by Richard D. Irwin. She is also the author of another book entitled Financial Tools for Effective Marketing and co-author of a book entitled Financial Accounting. She is currently past president of the Management Accounting Section, American Accounting Association. She has served a three-year term as a member of the Board of Regents of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of IMA, as a member of the Committee on Research of IMA and on various other AAA Management Accounting Sections, IMA, and AICPA Committees. Dr. Rayburn is a member of AICPA, Institute of Management Accountants, American Accounting Association, Beta Alpha Psi, and Beta Gamma Sigma.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rayburn, J.M., Rayburn, L.G. Relationship between Machiavellianism and Type A personality and ethical-orientation. J Bus Ethics 15, 1209–1219 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412819
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412819