ORIGINAL PAPER
Judgment of the morality of an individual responsible for a fatal workplace accident involving subordinates
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1
University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland (Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, Institute of Psychology)
2
Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland (University College of Social Sciences and Philologies)
Online publication date: 2018-04-03
Corresponding author
Mariola Paruzel-Czachura
University of Silesia, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology,
Institute of Psychology, Grażyńskiego 53, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
Małgorzata Dobrowolska
Silesian University of Technology, University College of Social Sciences and Philologies,
Hutnicza 9-9A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2018;69(3):261-7
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ABSTRACT
Background: The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis that additional information about the perpetrator responsible
for the death of subordinates at the workplace may influence the assessment of morality. The article contains the results of an
empirical study conducted among young adult working Silesians (N = 262), who were asked to evaluate the morality of the person
responsible for the decision, in line with which miners had started working on 6th October 2014. On that day miners died
following an explosion in the “Mysłowice-Wesoła” methane mine in the Polish Silesia region. Material and Methods: The study
explored the stories’ method (from the moral psychology domain) as well as a short questionnaire. The respondents received
information about the behavior of the perpetrator as well as emotions (socially desirable and undesirable) and (socially desirable
and undesirable) views in the form of brief descriptions (stories). They were asked to evaluate the perpetrator’s morality. Results: The socially desirable views of the evaluated perpetrator (lack of acceptance for the situation) and the socially desirable emotions
(guilt) significantly increased the level of morality according to participants. A single piece of information about the socially
desirable emotions didn’t significantly increase the perceived level of perpetrator’s morality; neither did a single piece of information
about socially desirable views. Conclusions: Results indicate the important role of additional information about emotions
and views of the perpetrator in the process of assessing morality. It is worthwhile to implement the practical implications
of this study in similar crisis situations at the workplace. Med Pr 2018;69(3):261–267