sciencedaily | The study, "Anticipating and Resisting the Temptation to Behave
Unethically," by University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Behavioral Science and Marketing Professor Ayelet Fishbach and Rutgers
Business School Assistant Professor Oliver J. Sheldon, was recently
published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. It is the
first study to test how the two separate factors of identifying an
ethical conflict and preemptively exercising self-control interact in
shaping ethical decision-making.
In a series of experiments that included common ethical dilemmas,
such as calling in sick to work and negotiating a home sale, the
researchers found that two factors together promoted ethical behavior:
Participants who identified a potential ethical dilemma as connected to
other similar incidents and who also anticipated the temptation to act
unethically were more likely to behave honestly than participants who
did not.
"Unethical behavior is rampant across various domains ranging from
business and politics to education and sports," said Fishbach.
"Organizations seeking to improve ethical behavior can do so by helping
people recognize the cumulative impact of unethical acts and by
providing warning cues for upcoming temptation."
