Abstract:
Ethical behavior in South Africa, and consequently in the workplace, is currently a
highly topical issue. Hence it was decided to investigate whether demographic differences
exist regarding work ethics, in order to guide organizational decision-making and
to understand work behavior in a South African sample. The sample consisted of 301
respondents, and data was collected using the Multidimensional Work Ethics Profile
(MWEP), which was developed to measure seven facets of work ethics. Inferential statistical
analysis was performed to analyze the dataset. The results indicate that male
respondents scored higher on delay of gratification in comparison to their female
counterparts. Test results for tenure found that increased years of service influenced
respondents’ scores positively in hard work and delay of gratification.
