156 Posts Found

Even ordinary people are prone to shocking ethical lapses. As the empirical study of ethics has surged in the past two decades, clear evidence has emerged that ethical thinking and behavior are prone to many of the same mental processes and pitfalls as the rest of human thinking and behavior. Just as we humans are prone to systematic and predictable cognitive errors, we appear to … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Mary C. Kern, Mary C. Kern and Dolly Chugh | Source: NYU Stern School of Business | Subject: Ethics

Everyone cheats a little from time to time. But most major betrayals within organizations — from accounting fraud to doping in sports — start with a first step that crosses the line, according to Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist at Duke and author of The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone — Especially Ourselves. That step can start people on a … [ Read more ]

Content: Multimedia Content | Authors: Adam Grant, Dan Ariely | Source: Knowledge@Wharton | Subjects: Ethics, Management, Organizational Behavior

All around us there is a breakdown of values […] It is not just the […] overpowering greed that pervades our business life. It is the fact that we are not willing to sacrifice for the ethics and values we profess. For an ethic is not an ethic, and a value not a value without some sacrifice to it. Something given up, something not taken, … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Source: Fast Company | Subjects: Ethics, Integrity, Leadership, Values

Ethics programs have arisen in response to the public’s outcry over the perceived unethical behavior of American business. The rapid response in the establishment of ethics programs is encouraging, though interesting issues have emerged that merit discussion.

Content: Article | Author: Jere E. Yates | Source: Graziadio Business Report | Subject: Ethics

People tend to be as good or bad as their neighbors. Most people are not saintly, and neither are they great villains. It’s very hard to be good when you look around and see your neighbors acting very badly. It’s hard to drive at 65 mph when everyone else is driving at 100 mph.

Content: Quotation | Source: Across the Board (ATB) | Subject: Ethics

In response to society’s demand for a stronger emphasis on business ethics, in light of recent publicity concerning unethical business practices, and in trying to be in compliance with new federal and state regulatory laws, many businesses have created or strengthened ethics programs. These programs are most effective when they flow out of a culture that values practicing business legally and ethically. However, there are … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Jere E. Yates | Source: Graziadio Business Report | Subject: Ethics

There are different approaches that may constitute business ethics, just as there are different ways to think about ethics in society. Firstly, there is the widely held view that the sole task of business ethics is to restrain the economic drive for profit in cases which raise considerable moral problems. This perspective restricts the role of business ethics to a corrective factor which needs to … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Authors: Peter Ulrich, Thomas Maak | Source: European Business Forum (EBF) | Subjects: Economics, Ethics

Because I think that we’re so limited in our ability to behave ethically in the face of situational pressures, I want to teach our students how to do ethical systems design, how to take all the flaws and weirdnesses of human nature and work with them to design organizations and startup companies where people are always concerned about their reputation. People are concerned about reputation … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Jonathan Haidt | Source: Knowledge@Wharton | Subject: Ethics

The former head of Alcoa Russia teaches executives that in international business practice, ethics and competitive advantage go hand in hand.

Content: Thought Leader | Author: Ann Graham | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Ethics, International | Company: Alcoa

The influential business author and CEO explains why the practice of enlightened self-governance gives companies an edge.

Content: Thought Leader | Authors: Art Kleiner, Dov Seidman | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Ethics, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior

I have facilitated sessions with CEOs in which I ask, “How many of you could grab your BlackBerry and in the next five minutes produce a list of your top 25 performers?” All the hands go up. Then I ask, “How many, with the same confidence, could produce a list of your most principled or ethical leaders?” Every hand goes down. They all recognize that … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Dov Seidman | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Ethics, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior

World-renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen explores the personal benefits of business research in the forthcoming book How Will You Measure Your Life? Co-authored with James Allworth and Karen Dillon, the book explains how well-tested academic theories can help us to find meaning and happiness not just at work, but in life. This excerpt describes how marginal thinking can lead to personal, professional, and moral … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Clayton M. Christensen | Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge | Subjects: Ethics, Personal Development

Whether we are dealing with business, global diplomacy, or family matters, we are all perplexed by the complexity of ethics in negotiation. This article introduces a simple, straightforward exercise that can lead to very meaningful discussions regarding ethics, negotiation tactics, and the ramifications and effectiveness of the implementation of those tactics and ethical decisions.

Content: Article | Author: Michael B. Rainey, J.D. | Source: Graziadio Business Report | Subjects: Ethics, Negotiation

Recent high-profile scandals at Penn State, MF Global Holdings, Olympus and elsewhere raise questions about why organizations often fail to address significant internal problems that at best impede performance, and at worst could have devastating effects. In hindsight, especially to observers, it is clear what should have been done. But for employees, exposing such problems is more complicated than telling right from wrong, say experts … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Source: Knowledge@Wharton | Subjects: Ethics, Organizational Behavior

Companies can take a wide variety of approaches to how to discuss ethics but what actually works in guiding employees’ ethical behavior. While working with different organizations over the last six year, Francesca Gino has observed approaches across the entire spectrum. Her research suggests that subtle changes can produce big differences in the ethical conduct of organizational members. Three findings seem particularly relevant, and they … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Francesca Gino | Source: Harvard Business Review | Subject: Ethics

In a new study, HBS professors Francesca Gino and Joshua D. Margolis look at two ways that companies can encourage ethical behavior: the promotion of good deeds or the prevention of bad deeds. It turns out that employees tend to act more ethically when focused on what not to do. That can be problematic in firms where success is commonly framed in terms of advancement … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Carmen Nobel, Francesca Gino, Joshua D. Margolis | Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge | Subject: Ethics

Professor Mary Gentile explores ethical dilemmas at work and how to act on them.

Content: Thought Leader | Author: Mary Gentile | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subject: Ethics

Few business actions are ethically “pure.” Most are a kind of double helix: one strand virtue, the other economic self-interest. It is almost impossible to disentangle the two.

Content: Quotation | Author: Andrew W. Singer | Source: Across the Board (ATB) | Subject: Ethics

In the only scientifically valid study of the motivations of a cross-section of the entire U.S. workforce, researchers unveiled the secret of why leaders…have been able to create working conditions that effectively tap into the deep wellspring of worker motivation. This 2002 survey of 3,000 workers, undertaken by the U.S. Census Bureau, found that there are two main sources of employee motivation, loyalty, commitment, and … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: James O’Toole | Source: Ivey Business Journal | Subjects: Ethics, Management, Motivation

A story from Keith Yost, an MIT grad, about his relatively short experience working at BCG in Dubai as a management consultant. [Hat tip to Brad Feld]

Content: Article | Author: Keith Yost | Source: The Tech | Subjects: Career, Ethics, Industry Specific | Industry: Consulting