Defiance, Compliance, or Somewhere in Between: A Qualitative Study of How Employees Respond to Supervisors’ Unethical Requests

Many corporate scandals are made possible by organizational leaders asking subordinates to act in unethical ways. However, the response to unethical requests is not uniform––while some employees reluctantly comply, others blow the whistle, while others exploit the opportunity for personal gain. This study examines these responses by analyzing 110 stories of unethical directives through a qualitative inductive method. We identified nine types of requests and five reasons provided for employees’ levels of compliance. Our findings indicate that considerations of personal relationships are associated with compliance, whereas reflections on personal values are associated with defiance. This research provides a foundational framework for interpreting and guiding future inquiries into this understudied organizational issue.