Data for the manuscript Salespeople Moral Disengagement and Duty Orientation: Examining the Influence of Peers' Unethical Behavior and Customer Incivility

Moral disengagement among salespeople is a psychological mechanism that enables individuals to rationalize unethical behavior, often in response to competitive pressures and organizational demands. This study examines how salespeople's moral disengagement affects their sense of duty orientation while also analyzing the role of social context in shaping moral disengagement. Drawing upon social cognitive theory, we proposed a model wherein peers' unethical behavior induces moral disengagement among salespeople, subsequently influencing their duty orientation. Additionally, we proposed that customer incivility moderates the relationship between the peers' unethical behavior and moral disengagement. We tested our hypotheses using data gathered across three waves from salespeople in the business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) sectors. The findings indicate that peers' unethical behavior positively impacts the moral disengagement of salespeople and the negative influence of moral disengagement on their duty orientation. It also suggests that moral disengagement acts as a mediator connecting peers' unethical behavior and duty orientation. Furthermore, the impact of peers' unethical behavior on moral disengagement is moderated by customer incivility, with a more substantial effect observed when the levels of customer incivility are high. Our study deepens the understanding of the factors contributing to moral disengagement among salespeople, highlighting the role of peers' unethical behavior and customer incivility. These findings offer practical guidance for organizations seeking to mitigate the detrimental impact of negative workplace behaviors and emphasize the importance of managing both internal and external social influences to promote ethical conduct among sales teams.

销售人员的道德脱离（Moral disengagement）是一种可使个体为自身不道德行为合理化的心理机制，其产生通常与竞争压力及组织要求密切相关。本研究探讨销售人员的道德脱离如何影响其责任取向，同时分析社会情境在塑造道德脱离过程中的作用。本研究基于社会认知理论（social cognitive theory）构建理论模型，提出同伴不道德行为会诱发销售人员的道德脱离，进而对其责任取向产生影响。此外，本研究还假设顾客无礼行为（customer incivility）会在同伴不道德行为与道德脱离的关系中发挥调节作用。
本研究通过针对企业对消费者（B2C）与企业对企业（B2B）领域销售人员采集的三轮追踪数据，对所提出的研究假设进行了检验。研究结果表明：同伴不道德行为对销售人员的道德脱离具有显著正向影响，而道德脱离则会负向影响其责任取向；同时，道德脱离在同伴不道德行为与责任取向的关系中起到中介作用。进一步分析显示，顾客无礼行为会对同伴不道德行为与道德脱离之间的关联产生调节效应，且当顾客无礼行为程度较高时，该影响效应更为显著。
本研究深化了学界对销售人员道德脱离影响因素的理解，凸显了同伴不道德行为与顾客无礼行为的关键作用。上述研究结果可为企业缓解职场负面行为的破坏性影响提供实践指导，同时强调了管控内外部社会影响以促进销售团队道德行为的重要性。