Nora Hansson Bittár

Though past research suggests that individuals grapple with negative emotions when dealing with their own and others’ bad (dishonest) behaviors, this symposium explores a different proposition, one where actors feel good for bad deeds in ways that explain why actors and their dishonest collaborators might find extensive support in organizational context. Across a series of studies, the papers in our symposium show that individuals feel pride and gratitude for dishonesty, explaining their motivation to engage in and support dishonesty. Additionally, we find that they are able to reconcile such feelings if they embrace the paradox of feeling bad and good at the same time. Together this research explores the emotional antecedents, consequences, and moderators of positive reactions to dishonesty, providing a more nuanced view as to why dishonesty persists in many organizational contexts.