Deception as competence: The effect of occupational stereotypes on the perception and proliferation of deception

Brian C. Gunia and Emma E. Levine

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019, vol. 152, issue C, 122-137

Abstract: Deception is common but widely condemned. The current research examines why. Integrating theories of selling, stereotypes, and negotiation—and challenging much research and rhetoric on deception—we document that perceivers do not always disapprove of deceivers. Instead, they conclude that deceivers will be competent in certain occupations: those in which a selling orientation (SO) is stereotypically seen as integral to the job. We first introduce SO as an occupational stereotype and distinguish between occupations stereotyped as high vs. low in SO (HISO vs. LISO). We then demonstrate (across six studies; two preregistered; total N = 1584) that deception is perceived to signal a person’s ability to engage in SO, and thus their competence in HISO occupations. Finally, we show that this perception may lead to the hiring of deceptive individuals. These results identify occupations as a moderator of deception-related reactions, helping to explain persistent deception and highlight possible interventions.

Keywords: Deception; Occupations; Competence; Selling orientation; Stereotypes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:152:y:2019:i:c:p:122-137

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.02.003

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