Understanding individual ethical behaviour Why we do what we do… Understanding individual ethical behaviour 22/02/2019

Our Journey Framing…The elusive nature of an important behaviour. Theory of the self Ethical behaviour as a part of a decision making process Individual vs. situational variables Putting it all together 22/02/2019

Moral behaviour a mind map Decision making process Context / situation Weak vs. Strong Script Stanford prison experiments Perspectives Business as a jungle Business as a game Business as war Individual variables Moral identity Locus of control Competitiveness Moral behaviour Values & beliefs Decision making process Awareness / Judgement /Intent / Behaviour Self-regulatory processes Emotions Rationalization Culture Nationality Organisational Department Moral reasoning Duties Consequences Justice Virtue 22/02/2019

What influences people’s behaviour? Personal variables )Moral) Behaviour Situational variables Personal variables such as LOC or competitiveness (option of taking a hand out) Mischel – strong and weak situations They effect each other – e.g. personality has stronger effect when situation is weak Actual behavior vs. intent (moral as being one type of behaviour) 22/02/2019

Decision Making process Recognize moral issue (awareness) Make moral judgement Establish moral intent Engage in moral behaviour An issue-contingent model of ethical decision making in organizations / Adapted from Jones 1991 22/02/2019

Self-regulation and rationalization (Moral) Behavior Mood Positive/Negative Later behaviour Bandura’s theory of self-regulation (Gradualism and learning) Affect = emotion, feeling Moral justification (It would have hurt her more if I told the truth) Euphemistic labelling (I am “flexible” with the truth) Advantageous comparison (This little lie is better than people who steal from their boss) Displacement of responsibility (He pushed me into a corner – I had to lie) Diffusion of responsibility (We all decided together that this was the right thing to do) Disregard or distortion of consequences (A little lie never hurt anybody) Dehumanization (He’s a ‘worm’ he doesn’t deserve the truth) Attribution of blame (He left me no choice, I had to lie) Bandura 1999 22/02/2019

Rationalizations (Bandura 1999) Moral justification (It would have hurt her more if I told the truth) Euphemistic labelling (I am “flexible” with the truth) Advantageous comparison (This little lie is better than people who steal from their boss) Displacement of responsibility (He pushed me into a corner – I had to lie) Diffusion of responsibility (We all decided together that this was the right thing to do) Disregard or distortion of consequences (A little lie never hurt anybody) Dehumanization (He’s a ‘worm’ he doesn’t deserve the truth) Attribution of blame (He left me no choice, I had to lie) 22/02/2019

Putting it all together – an example Support for negative behaviour Moral Disengagement Moral Identity Competitiveness Affect Positive/Negative Moral Behavior Support for negative behaviour 22/02/2019

Lord Moulton 1924 (in Kidder 2003) Ethics: “It is the domain of obedience to the unenforceable. That obedience is the obedience of a man to that which he cannot be forced to obey. He is the forcer of the law upon himself” Lord Moulton 1924 (in Kidder 2003) 22/02/2019

Questions, anyone? 22/02/2019