How would change recipients respond to change initiatives that enforce moral behaviors? To answer this question, we conduct an inductive study of a Korean company whose employees experienced change initiatives to foster moral behaviors in a paternalistic, enforced manner. Our analysis revealed that in the short term, change recipients show resistant compliance with the enforced behaviors due to anger resulting from threatened self-ownership. As enforcement is gradually lifted, however, recipients make contrasts to the forceful past and experience authenticity in carrying out moral deeds. Combined with the habituation of moral behaviors owing to the prolonged implementation, this leads to the cultivation of moral identities in the long term. Our model reveals that enforcement may be an important first step for employees to habituate moral behaviors and cultivate moral identities, despite the initial resistance arising from threatened self-ownership. We extend research at the intersection of resistance to change, moral identity, and identity regulation by addressing the previously overlooked relationship between moral change and resistance, and how moral identities can be fostered in spite of initial resistance. Keywords: moral identity, resistance to change, threats to self-ownership
