TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethical Learning
T2 - The Workplace as a Moral Laboratory for Character Development
AU - Smith, Isaac H.
AU - Kouchaki, Maryam
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - In contrast to the view that businesses corrupt and bring out the worst in people, we propose that people's experiences at work can also lead to profound ethical learning and growth, and that organizations can be designed to help workers strive to become their best moral selves. To this end, we selectively review literature from the fields of organizational behavior, moral psychology, and behavioral ethics to identify five key barriers to ethical learning at work: defensiveness, overconfidence, selfishness, inexperience, and negative social influence. Then, to help leaders establish an organizational environment that helps workers overcome these barriers and promotes ethical learning and character development, we present five guiding principles (i.e., create an ethical culture, develop psychological safety, promote moral humility, foster prosocial motivation, and institutionalize moral reflection) and offer specific recommendations related to each.
AB - In contrast to the view that businesses corrupt and bring out the worst in people, we propose that people's experiences at work can also lead to profound ethical learning and growth, and that organizations can be designed to help workers strive to become their best moral selves. To this end, we selectively review literature from the fields of organizational behavior, moral psychology, and behavioral ethics to identify five key barriers to ethical learning at work: defensiveness, overconfidence, selfishness, inexperience, and negative social influence. Then, to help leaders establish an organizational environment that helps workers overcome these barriers and promotes ethical learning and character development, we present five guiding principles (i.e., create an ethical culture, develop psychological safety, promote moral humility, foster prosocial motivation, and institutionalize moral reflection) and offer specific recommendations related to each.
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U2 - 10.1111/sipr.12073
DO - 10.1111/sipr.12073
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096644688
SN - 1751-2395
VL - 15
SP - 277
EP - 322
JO - Social Issues and Policy Review
JF - Social Issues and Policy Review
IS - 1
ER -