In previous posts, the widespread belief that some people are honest negotiators and others are not has been shown to be inapplicable to real-world negotiations. Rather, because people respond strongly to their environment, ethical standards often vary depending on the context. For example, many negotiators strive to tell the truth – unless they believe their counterpart is lying to them. Researchers Simone Moran of Ben Gurion University and Maurice E. Schweitzer of the University of Pennsylvania now provide strong evidence that simply envying someone can lead you to be deceitful.

In one study, Moran and Schweitzer asked participants to imagine that they competed with another person for a promotion and lost. They then negotiated either with the person who beat them or with another individual. Those who negotiated with someone who they imagined had just beated them were more willing to engage in deceptive behavior in the negotiation, as measured by a scale developed by Rob Robinson of the University of Hawaii and Roy Lewicki of Ohio State University. The authors attribute this willingness to engage in deception to the envy experienced as a result of losing the competition for the promotion.

In another study, participants played the role of allocator in an ultimatum game. The allocator had to divide a fixed sum between himself and another party. If the other party accepted the allocation, it would go into effect. If the other party rejected it, both parties would receive nothing. The allocator knew the amount of money to be divided, but the other party did not. The allocator also had the opportunity to send the recipient a message about the amount of money available, which could be either truthful or deceitful. Participants were much more likely o be deceptive toward someone they envied than toward someone they did not.

These studies suggest the pliability of ethical conduct. Many of us unknowingly adjust our ethical standards based on the negotiation context. In addition, it appears that we can anticipate a decrease in the ethical behavior of others who have recently suffered a defeat.

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