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Understanding the Paradox of Moral People Acting Unethically

Studies reveal that individuals who consider themselves moral may actually engage in unethical behavior. This phenomenon, known as moral credentialing, suggests that when people demonstrate moral behavior, they feel entitled to act immorally later, much like treating yourself to dessert after exercising. Research indicates that past moral actions can lead to less ethical choices, fueled by the formation of a positive self-image. Business leaders must recognize this tendency and find effective ways to foster genuine ethical behavior rather than just reliance on ethics training, which can create overconfidence.

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Understanding the Paradox of Moral People Acting Unethically

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  1. Why Moral People Act Unethically CBS Money Watch 16 May 2011

  2. Overview • It’s not a coincidence that moralistic individuals often behave unethically • Social psychological research suggests a causal relationship between feeling moral and acting immorally • These findings that have important implications for the difficult task of instilling moral behavior in business leaders

  3. Moral credentialing • If someone has behaved morally or in some other way established a moral image, that frees the person to subsequently engage in less ethical behavior–sort of the moral equivalent of permitting yourself to eat chocolate cake after you exercised • People who write about their positive traits donate less than those who write about their negative traits

  4. Self-concept • Makes a huge difference in how one acts • There is evidence people who have acted badly in the past act very morally when given a second chance • As a manager you need to analyze how you react to problems • What options do you have? • What effect does your reaction have ? • In the short-run • In the long-run

  5. Ethics Training • Paradoxically, providing people with lots of ethics training can actually backfire • Develops overconfidence • They have learned it and now have the right to violate it occasionally • How do you communicate it is a 100% requirement • How do you handle these types of issues?

  6. Work Cited • http://www.bnet.com/blog/business-­‐psychology/why-­‐8216moral-­‐8217-­‐people-­‐ act-­‐unethically/365?promo=665&tag=nl.e665   Recovered  16  May  2011

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