9) The Normalisation of Wrongdoing in Business Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is the central question of Week 9’s lecture?
Why do good people in business engage in unethical behaviour?
What is the “bad apples” theory in business ethics?
The idea that unethical actions are due to flawed individuals (e.g., psychopaths, poor upbringing, lack of education).
Why is the “bad apples” theory considered insufficient?
Many unethical people are ordinary, educated, and well-intentioned — wrongdoing is often systemic, not individual.
Who is Hannah Arendt and what concept did she introduce?
A philosopher who introduced “the banality of evil” — the idea that great harm is often committed by thoughtless, ordinary people following orders.
What does Arendt mean by “banality of evil”?
Evil arises not from villainy, but from thoughtlessness and conformity — people stop thinking and use clichés or systems to justify harm.
What are signs of thoughtlessness in business?
- Use of stock phrases (e.g., “It’s just business”)
- Bureaucratic rule-following
- Emotional detachment
- Avoiding responsibility by citing “policy”
What three forces drive thoughtlessness in business according to the lecture?
1) Neoliberal capitalism
2) Bureaucracy
3) Cultural values like speed, efficiency, and competition
How does neoliberal capitalism normalise wrongdoing?
By making profit the only value — ethical concerns are ignored if they interfere with economic logic (TINA: “There is no alternative”).
How does bureaucracy contribute to unethical behaviour?
It turns people into rule-followers, shifting responsibility away from individuals and suppressing empathy or reflection.
What kind of language allows wrongdoing to feel normal?
Euphemisms (e.g. “rightsizing” instead of layoffs), corporate jargon, and dehumanising phrases.
What is an example of thoughtlessness in real business contexts?
Using AI for hiring without understanding bias, or approving layoffs without considering human consequences — because “the numbers said so”.
How does normalisation of wrongdoing show up in business scandals?
Harm becomes routine: VW emissions, FTX, Theranos — cultures where unethical acts became part of daily operations.
How does Bauman explain wrongdoing in modern organisations?
People obey rules and systems, suppressing their moral impulse to avoid discomfort or conflict.
What does Levinas say about systems that cause harm?
They erase our encounter with the Other — people become faceless, and responsibility disappears.
What is Derrida’s ethical warning in these contexts?
When decisions become automated or procedural, we lose undecidability — the pause to reflect morally on difficult choices.
How does virtue ethics help critique normalised wrongdoing?
It asks whether environments cultivate virtues like honesty and courage — or vices like apathy and greed.
How is utilitarianism misused in justifying wrongdoing?
Harm to minorities can be accepted if it benefits the majority or the bottom line (e.g., layoffs to boost stock value).
How can egoism contribute to ethical failure?
Overemphasis on self-interest justifies exploitation and ignores the needs of others or the common good.
What does “ethical thinking” involve according to the lecture?
Pausing to ask difficult questions: Who is harmed? Why am I doing this? What is the right thing — not just the efficient one?
Why is thinking essential to ethics, per Arendt and Derrida?
Ethics requires reflection, discomfort, and responsibility — not automatic decision-making or obedience.
What is the takeaway about ethics in contemporary business?
Wrongdoing is often not a choice to be evil — it’s the result of systems that encourage thoughtlessness and suppress moral reflection.
