A Proposed IT Ethical Behavioral Model - End User Computing Challenges and Technologies: Emerging Tools and Applications - page 4

An abundance of research regarding attitude
change and persuasion exists in the psychology
literature (Olson & Zanna, 1993). If attitude can
be changed, then intention may be influenced
(and subsequently behavior may be influenced
through attitude change and persuasion). A stream
of literature regarding attitude change exists and,
if applied to unethical acts, will prove to be an
excellent choice that can be used to combat and
deter unethical and inappropriate behavior.

model development and Further
directions

Table 1 details the selected literature (ethical
research models that explain ethical behavior) to
support the development of a proposed general
ethical behavior model (Figure 1). This proposed
conceptual model expands on the widely accepted
behavioral models, TRA and TPB, which posit
that attitude explains intention to behave and in-

Table 1. IT behavior research

Ethical Issue Research Factors that Influence

Intention

Reference
Theories

Method Results

Ethical Decision
Models

Jones
(1991)

Multiple Literature

Summary

Source for
subsequent research

Software Piracy Peace et al.

(2003)

Punishment Severity
Software Costs
Punishment Certainty
Attitude
Subject Norms
Perceived Behavioral
Control

Theory or
Reasoned
Action
Theory of
Planned
Behavior
Expected
Utility Theory
Deterrence
Theory

Structural
Modeling
Partial Least
Squares

R 2 = .65; software
piracy predicted by
attitude, subjective
norms and perceived
behavioral control

Computer Abuse Harrington

(1996)

ANOVA
Multiple
Comparisons

Codes affect abuse
but related only to
certain abuses

Codes of Ethics
Denial of responsibility

Corporate
Codes of Ethics
Deterrence
Theory

Privacy,
accuracy,
ownership,
access

Banerjee et
al. (1998)

Moral Judgment
Attitude
Personal Normative
Beliefs
Ego Strength
Locus of Control
Organizational Ethical
Climate

Theory of
Reasoned
Action
Theory of
Planned
Behavior

Multiple
Regression
Analysis

Ethical behavior
intention strongly
related to the
computing
concept (that is,
organizational
environment)—
situational ethics
and personal
normative beliefs

continued on following page