This article aims to improve Murphy’s explanation of the consequences of sales contests by underlying the relationships that exist between the psychographic variables of salespeople (competitiveness and status aspiration), the perceived ethical climate of the contest, and unethical behaviors observed during the contest. Data were gathered via a survey questionnaire that targeted salespersons selling financial products in four different French banks. A total of 747 completed questionnaires were collected and their data analyzed using Partial Least Squares techniques. Results show that sales contests can create a specific ethical climate that mediates the relation between salespeople’s status aspiration and competitiveness and their unethical behavior during a sales contest.
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