Symbolism as Symbolic Enactments

A few weeks ago, there was a Los Angeles Times article "Promoting More Ethical Behavior" by Jena McGregor reviewing a forthcoming study in the Academy of Management Journal on behavior in the workplace.

It's interesting because it suggested that those who displayed moral symbols, or had quotes with moral imperatives attached to their signature line, impacted those around them to act in more ethical ways.  Its findings suggest the following:

• subordinates were less likely to receive an unethical request by a supervisor if the subordinate had a moral symbol or moral quote in their work area or in an e-mail signature.
• those in the vicinity of a moral symbol or message were less likely to lie or deceive. 
• Related research found that in a "Pay as you wish" cafe, images of Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, and other individuals perceived to possess ethical teachings, increased spending for the same food by 20%                                                                                             

Symbolism as symbolic enactments:  How cool is that!