Tag Archives: People

Study all about Unethical Behavior

Abstract: It is common for people to be more critical of others‘ ethical choices than of their own. This chapter explores those remarkable circumstances in which people see no evil in others‘ unethical behavior. Specifically, we explore 1) the motivated tendency to overlook the unethical behavior of others when we recognize the unethical behavior would harm us, 2) the tendency to ignore unethical behavior unless it is clear, immediate, and direct, 3) the tendency to ignore unethical behavior when ethicality erodes slowly over time, and 4) the tendency to assess unethical behaviors only after the unethical behavior has resulted in a bad outcome, but not during the decision process.

Since 1985, when David Messick and his colleagues showed that people think they are fairer than others, a great deal of research has documented the broad and powerful implications of their work. Among the findings: People are routinely more willing to be critical of others‘ ethics than of their own. People are more suspicious of others‘ motives for committing good acts (Epley & Caruso, 2004; Epley & Dunning, 2000). People assume that others are more self-interested than they are and more strongly motivated by money (Miller & Ratner, 1998; Ratner & Miller, 2001). People believe they are more honest and trustworthy than others (Baumhart, 1968; Messick & Bazerman, 1996) and that they try harder to do good (Alicke, 1985; Baumeister & Newman, 1994). But people are not always eager to shine a critical moral light on others. Indeed, there are systematic and predictable circumstances under which people look theother way when others engage in unethical conduct. This chapter concerns those circumstances. Keep reading…