Fairness Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Unethical Behavior

If people think or expect that others are kind, ethical or fair, are they more likely to be kind, ethical and fair in their own judgments and behaviors? Answering this question is difficult because of the confluence of individual, institutional and other-regarding factors that affect ethical decision-making. This paper uses data for 53 countries from the World Values Survey in a multilevel regression analysis that seeks to disentangle these multiple effects. The dependent variable is an index of how intolerant people are of unethical conduct. The primary explanatory variable is an indicator of the perceived fairness of others. Controls include variables for individual and institutional factors. Findings are contrary to expectations, but primarily in countries with moderate levels of institutional integrity. The findings reinforce the importance of quality institutions in supporting ethical decision-making