Personal integrity and faking in the workplace: when competition matters

Despite the fact that employee faking or intentional response distortion is a critical concern in many workplace processes, the antecedents of this behavior are poorly understood. Based on signaling theory describing faking behavior as a strategic adaptation to competitive signals, this study examines the influence of personal integrity and perceived competition on faking. An online between-subjects experiment was carried out on a sample of teachers from elementary schools in selected regions of the Czech Republic (N = 470). The experimental group was subjected to competition-inducing instructions during the administration of the Occupational Integrity Scale (OIS) and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR-CZ), as an indicator of faking (impression management). Findings provided support for the moderating role of perceived competition on the link between impression management and personal integrity. Those who scored lower in reliability and moral sense (factors of OIS) exposed to competition-inducing instructions scored significantly higher on impression management than respondents in the control group, supporting the critical role of competition manipulation against excessive score inflation. Findings suggested that if organizations are not sure of the level of integrity of employees, they should not utilize competitive cues since individuals with low integrity tend to fake their responses to increase the person-organization fit. The managerial implications of these findings were discussed.

Automated summary

Although employee faking or intentional response distortion is a critical concern in workplaces, the reasons behind this behavior are not well understood. This study investigates the influence of personal integrity and perceived competition on faking, based on signaling theory. Findings indicate that perceived competition moderates the link between impression management and personal integrity. Individuals with lower reliability and moral sense, exposed to competition-inducing instructions, showed significantly higher levels of impression management. The managerial implications of these findings were discussed.