Zimbardo Case Summary

CHAPTER 1

▪ Introducing straight talk about ethics, where are we going and why?

▪ The approach to this course. What makes a course excellent?

▪ Why be ethical? The importance of trust and values

1. Moving Beyond Cynicism:

□ Edelman Trust Barometer (2009):

o More than half of respondents say they trust business less than they did a year ago

▪ Worse in the U.S.

▪ No decline in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China)

o Business case for trust:

▪ 91% of consumers purchase products from companies they trust

▪ 77% of consumers refuse to purchase products from companies they don’t trust

2. MBA Oath
Deindividuation – People Fulfill Assigned Roles

■ Research: Zimbardo Prison experiment ■ Roles at work ■ Conflicting roles can lead to unethical behavior ■ Roles can support ethical behavior ■ Practical advice for managers ■ Roles influence behavior ■ Analyze roles and role conflicts ■ Determine whether jobs need to be altered
6. People Do What They’re Told

■ Research: the “shocking” Milgram experiment ■ Obedience to authority at work ■ Practical advice for managers ■ Recognize the power managers hold as legitimate authority figures ■ Use this power to set high ethical standards

7. Diffused Responsibility

■ “Don’t worry – we’re taking care of everything” ■ Workers encouraged to turn over responsibility to those in higher levels ■ Diffusion of responsibility in groups ■ Bystander research ■ Groupthink and “illusion or morality” ■ Ensure that alternative views are aired ■ Divide responsibility ■ Specialization ■ “Fragmentation of conscience” ■ Create psychological distance ■ Practical advice for