Unethical Behavior: Causes and Consequences

Recent research completed by Harvard researcher Max Bazerman and University of Notre Dame researcher Ann Tenbrunsel resulted in findings that indicate that although there are "criminally minded" people in organizations, most people are good people who behave unethically due to cognitive biases and organizational practices. One outcome of this research is a list of causes of unethical behavior in the organization along with suggested ways for managers to deal with these behaviors. This activity is important because having a basic understanding of what causes unethical behavior and what to do about it will help future managers be prepared to deal with these ethical dilemmas.

The goal of this activity is to identify causes of unethical behavior and understand examples of and remedies for such behavior.

Read each example of unethical behavior and its corresponding remedy. Match the correct cause of unethical behavior to each example and remedy.

$1$

The slippery slope

$2$

Overvaluing

outcomes

$5$

Motivated blindness