Broken promises: Repairing behavioral integrity via dissonance attributions and constraints.

Researchers have posited that behavioral integrity (BI) is extremely resistant to repair after it has been damaged. The current study challenges this perspective by examining the promise-keeping dimension of BI (BI-PK). In a hypothetical vignette, the effects of dissonance attributions and constraints on BI-PK perceptions were investigated in the context of a hiring manager breaking a promise to meet a job applicant for a highly desired interview. The results from two studies indicated that there was a strong positive effect for constraints on BI-PK, and BI-PK partially mediated the effect of constraints on attraction to the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]