what is cognitive dissonance?
holding two conflicting beliefs–when there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, something must be changed in order to eliminate dissonance
what are reasons why good ppl do bad things?
drift, destabilizing pride, power, see enterprise as self extension, ppl do not learn from mistakes
what is drift?
unethical behavior often happens little by little and progressively becomes more severe; i.e., boiling frog
what is destablizing pride?
pride can sometimes make unethical behaviors hard to see
what is power?
Fosters a presumption of entitlement (e.g., flying 1st class);
Easy to start believing: i’m better than other ppl;
seductive, intoxicating and addictive;
what is seeing enterprise as self extention?
when leaders think the dept./co. become an extension of “me” and then missing an earnings is reflection of their failures/successes
how to mitigate drift?
look to company guidelines: values, missions, code of conduct
how to mitigate destablizing pride?
share dilemmas and true motives with at least one other person– a confidant
how to mitigate self deception?
set aside time for introspection: when have I served the ultimate good for the function vs. myself?
how to mitigate power?
develop and maintain a well-informed conscience, which may require the support of a faith community
how to mitigate “enterprise extension”
re-think self interest, find joy in pursuing noble goals
how to mitigate “people do not learn from mistakes”?
examine your weakness; take time for backward reflection
how do we “stumble into bad behavior”?
when we are focused on common organizational goals otherwise clear ethical implication can fade from our minds; such ethical fading is due to “motivated blindness”