Thinking about results in advance can help conquer 'ethical dilemmas'

Bs_logoImage
ANI Washington
Last Updated : Jun 08 2015 | 4:42 PM IST

Thinking about the long-term results before giving in to temptation while facing an ethical dilemma can actually help you take the right decision.

In the study conducted by the University of Chicago, researchers found people who identify a potential ethical dilemma as connected to other similar incidents and who also anticipate the temptation to act unethically are more likely to behave honestly than people who do not.

Researcher Ayelet Fishbach said that unethical behavior is rampant across various domains ranging from business and politics to education and sports and organisations seeking to improve ethical behavior can do so by helping people recognize the cumulative impact of unethical acts and by providing warning cues for upcoming temptation.

The research concludes that people are more likely to engage in unethical behavior if they believe the act is an isolated incident and if they don't think about it ahead of time.

The research has a potential to help policy makers, educators and employers devise strategies to encourage people to behave ethically.

The study is published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 08 2015 | 4:32 PM IST