An Examination into the Effects of Age and Pressure on Ethical Behavior

Age plays a major role in human behavior, yet little research examines how age shapes ethical behavior. We examine the effects of age on ethical behavior when people face three different ethical pressures: time pressure, financial pressure, and social pressure. We predict that younger people are more likely than older people to engage in unethical behavior. We also predict that younger people are more influenced by ethical pressures than older people. Results from an experiment provide evidence that younger people are more likely than older people to engage in unethical behavior. In addition, both older and younger people are influenced by the ethical pressures we examine in this study. However, the results do not provide evidence that younger people are more influenced by those ethical pressures than older people. Our study contributes to research examining ethical behavior and age differences in the workplace while providing managers and auditors with a larger perception of unethical drivers.