Differences in Ethical Beliefs, Intentions, and Behaviors: The Role of Beliefs and Intentions in Ethics Research Revisited

Differences in Ethical Beliefs, Intentions, and Behaviors: The Role of Beliefs and Intentions in Ethics Research Revisited.

James Weber
Janet Gillespie

Business and Society, Vol. 37, No. 4.

https://doi.org/10.1177/000765039803700406

Source: WeLib

James Weber and Janet Gillespie’s article explores how ethical beliefs, intentions, and behaviors are connected, and why researchers should separate them more clearly. Ethical beliefs represent what people think is right or wrong, ethical intentions show what they plan or say they will do, and ethical behavior is what they actually do in practice. The study finds that beliefs alone are weak predictors of behavior, while intentions are stronger but still imperfect, since pressures, organizational context, and personal consequences can change actions.

To explain these dynamics, the authors draw on the Theory of Planned Behavior, which emphasizes how attitudes, social norms, and perceived control shape intentions and behavior, and the Theory of Moral Development, which shows how moral reasoning develops but does not always guarantee ethical action. They also examine different research focuses: choice of behavior, reasoning, and ethical choice, each of which has limits because survey responses or reasoning do not always match real-world behavior.

The article also points out implications for professional trainers and educators. In consulting and classroom settings, effectiveness is no longer measured only by factual knowledge but also by whether training leads to behavior change. For example, ethics training or management development programs are only valuable if participants actually apply new behaviors. However, measuring real behavior is difficult, and many studies have relied on changes in intention or moral reasoning as proof of learning. The authors caution that this is misleading and argue for the development of more accurate tools to measure actual behavioral change.

Overall, the research encourages ethics scholars and trainers to move beyond self-reported beliefs or intentions, adopt clearer models, and focus on measuring real behavior to better understand and improve ethical decision-making in practice.

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