Growth Through Ethical Role Identity Work: The Case of Ethics and Compliance Officers

Niki A. den Nieuwenboer, Linda K. Treviño, Derron Bishop, Glen E. Kreiner, Chad Murphy

Journal of Business Ethics · 2025 · Volume 198 · Issue 1

Abstract

“when you start to question people’s ethics, there’s a knee-jerk reaction and people get defensive.”“You certainly have to be aware that you are in a big glass house… people watch you. You’re out there particularly carrying the torch for appropriate conduct, values and ethics.... As a result, people have a high level of expectation as to the behaviors they’re going to see from you… [so] the expectations [for my behavior] are higher because of the job. So I think you do have to be careful in terms of the face you have for the organization… people do take away messages from [your behavior] that you may not necessarily intend or even fully understand.”Ethics and Compliance Officers.

Keywords

Ethics and compliance officers, Behavioral ethics, Ethical organizational roles, Ethical role identity work

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