It is an excellent course which should be taught to everyone definitely. It is a course that really changes the way one thinks, and allows one to see through various veils that are creating problems in the long run.

One of the best online courses that I see. Topic is well prepared and supported with many case studies. I really enjoyed this course and benefited.

Excellent course that really opens your eyes to ethics and the power of contexts. Instructors were excellent. I would highly recommend this course.

Great course! Could be done at any level of education. Very detailed & descriptive, with amazing theoretical as well as real life examples

a surprising course, very useful with relevant practical information and tools for reflexion. about the teachers only a word : FANTASTIC

Straight-forward, practical and powerful introductory course on ethics in decision-making context.

I really liked this course! It helped to spell out in words what I have observed. Weeks 1 to 6 go into great details about the problems and are really very helpful. I however think that there is room for improvement of week 7: it is too abridged, too superficial, a bit abstract. Week 7 did not answer all my questions about the ways to fight the cases of unethical decision making that I have witnessed while feeling powerless. I think that there is room for elaborating on solutions. But don't get me wrong: the course is really excellent and worth taking.

An interesting introduction into business psychology and ethics. Some good examples and exploration into recognising triggers and environmental factors leading to unethical decision making. Information on counter-strategies is lightweight and could be improved though.

Ethnics have been an important topic in the accounting industry since Enron case. For most accounting professionals, ethnics refresher course have been one of the requirement to constantly remind ourselves of this dimension.

Of all the ethical courses that i have attended, this stands out as it clearly explains why people goes down makes unethical decisions. It is a stark reminder that you and i under certain environment can likely make the wrong decision if certain conditions are met.

It will give people courage to say "NO" in a questionable situation.

Everyone in the world who works which is almost everyone on earth unless you are born into wealth and you don't have to work....but everyone else should take this course and watch it over and over again because this is hugely important to making the world a better place. If I were a manager of a company I would do this course with all my company. We don't have enough of this. It talks very efficiently about unethical problems and it offers concrete solutions. One of the best courses I have taken so far in Coursera. THANK YOU!!

I great course! I have learned a lot and changed my perspective of decision making in organizations and in common life. Thank you. I highly recommend it.

Unethical Decision Making in Organizations Unethical decision-making in organizations is a pervasive problem that often arises from a complex intersection of individual, organizational, and institutional factors. Organizations, both large and small, face numerous challenges related to ethics and corporate responsibility. While some unethical decisions are made knowingly, others emerge through systemic flaws, ethical blindness, and the normalization of questionable practices. This essay will delve into the reasons behind unethical decision-making in organizations, the risks of ethical blindness, and potential strategies to mitigate unethical behavior. 1. Context of Unethical Decision-Making in Organizations Organizations today are faced with an array of ethical challenges, ranging from conflicts of interest to issues of corporate governance, employee conduct, and environmental sustainability. Unethical decision-making may occur at multiple levels within an organization, often influenced by competing priorities such as profit maximization, performance targets, and competitive pressures. For instance: Sales Pressures: In many sales-driven environments, employees might resort to unethical behavior, such as misleading customers or falsifying records, to meet sales targets and earn bonuses. Financial Misreporting: Pressure from upper management to meet financial expectations can lead employees to manipulate data or engage in fraudulent activities, such as misstating earnings or inflating company assets. Discriminatory Practices: Some organizations may overlook or even condone discriminatory practices in hiring, promotion, or compensation, either due to biases held by management or as a result of a lack of formal policies that ensure fairness and inclusivity. The pressures to meet deadlines, satisfy upper management, and compete in global markets often lead individuals to make unethical decisions, as these actions may be viewed as necessary for career advancement or organizational survival. When these practices become normalized, they pose significant risks to both the organization’s integrity and its reputation. 2. Ethical Risks and the Role of Ethical Blindness The concept of ethical blindness refers to the failure to recognize the ethical dimensions of a decision, often due to situational pressures, framing effects, or moral disengagement. Several ethical risks arise from this blindness: Moral Disengagement: Employees and leaders may justify unethical actions, convincing themselves that they are either harmless or necessary under the circumstances. For example, an employee might rationalize falsifying financial data by telling themselves that "everyone does it," or "it’s only a temporary measure." Slippery Slope: Small unethical actions, when not addressed, can escalate over time, leading to larger ethical violations. This “slippery slope” effect is particularly dangerous in organizational cultures where unethical behavior is tolerated or overlooked. Peer Pressure and Groupthink: Employees may succumb to peer pressure or the desire to conform to group norms. In some organizations, unethical behavior becomes institutionalized when employees observe that unethical actions are being rewarded or ignored by leaders. In many organizations, the normalization of unethical behavior leads to systemic failures. Employees who might initially have moral reservations about a certain action may begin to view it as acceptable or even necessary, leading to a breakdown in ethical standards throughout the organization. 3. Theoretical Concepts and Frameworks Several theoretical frameworks can help explain unethical decision-making and the dynamics of ethical blindness: Framing: The way a decision is framed can significantly affect ethical judgments. For example, when an employee is told that a particular action is "routine" or "standard practice," it can reduce the perception of any ethical issues associated with that action. This framing effect can blur the lines between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Contextual Layers: Ethical decision-making is influenced by three levels: Individual Level: Personal values, biases, and experiences shape decision-making. Organizational Level: The culture, values, and goals of the organization play a crucial role in determining acceptable behavior. Institutional Level: Laws, regulations, and societal norms can either encourage or discourage unethical behavior. Ethical blindness often results from misalignment between these layers. For example, individual moral values may be overridden by the pressures and expectations of the organization. Moral Disengagement Mechanisms: According to Albert Bandura’s theory of moral disengagement, individuals engage in several cognitive mechanisms, such as moral justification, displacement of responsibility, and dehumanization, to rationalize unethical actions. These mechanisms allow individuals to engage in unethical behavior while distancing themselves from the moral consequences. Temporal Dynamics and the Slippery Slope: Ethical decision-making is often shaped by the temporal dynamics of organizational life. Small, seemingly inconsequential unethical decisions can accumulate over time, leading to a gradual erosion of ethical standards. The "slippery slope" phenomenon can make it difficult for employees to recognize when they’ve crossed a line, especially when their decisions are framed as temporary or isolated incidents. 4. Defense Strategies Against Ethical Blindness To address the risks of ethical blindness, organizations must adopt robust defense strategies that promote ethical decision-making. These strategies include: Ethical Leadership: Leaders must model ethical behavior and set the tone for the rest of the organization. Ethical leadership involves not just making the right decisions but also encouraging employees to speak up when they observe unethical behavior. By making ethical behavior a core value, leaders can create a culture of integrity that permeates the entire organization. Ethics Training and Awareness: Regular ethics training programs should be implemented to help employees identify ethical dilemmas and develop the skills needed to make ethical decisions. Training should focus not only on recognizing unethical behavior but also on providing employees with the tools and confidence to act ethically, even when faced with pressure. Whistleblowing Mechanisms: Organizations should establish clear channels for employees to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation. This can include anonymous whistleblowing systems and a commitment to taking all reports seriously and investigating them thoroughly. Redesigning Incentive Structures: Incentive structures should be designed to reward ethical behavior, not just performance metrics like sales figures or profit margins. By aligning rewards with long-term organizational goals, such as customer satisfaction, sustainability, and ethical conduct, organizations can reduce the temptation to engage in unethical practices. 5. Results and Assessment The success of these defense strategies can be assessed through several key indicators: Reduced Incidents of Unethical Behavior: A decrease in the number of ethical violations or reports of unethical behavior would suggest that the organization has successfully fostered an environment where ethics are prioritized. Improved Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Employees who feel that they are working in an ethical organization are more likely to be engaged and satisfied with their jobs. Regular surveys and feedback mechanisms can help measure this. External Recognition: Organizations that prioritize ethics may receive recognition from external bodies, such as industry watchdogs, certifications, or awards for corporate responsibility and ethical business practices. 6. Conclusion Unethical decision-making in organizations poses significant risks to both the organization and its employees. By recognizing the factors that contribute to ethical blindness, organizations can implement strategies to prevent unethical behavior and foster a culture of integrity. Through ethical leadership, effective training, and the establishment of strong ethical frameworks, organizations can navigate the complexities of modern business while ensuring that ethical standards remain a priority. In doing so, they not only protect their reputation but also contribute to a more ethical and responsible business environment.

Once I noticed a course about ethical decision-making in a list of courses related to antifraud and compliance on Coursera, but as it seemed to be "too much psychological" (subjectively boring) I shelved it for better times. It took 2 years, "better" times in general meaning did not happen - but a full scale war of russia in Ukraine did, so studying social psychology become much more obviously actual and today I finally would like to share that really great course - "Unethical decision making in organizations" - with everybody who is looking for answers what the hell is going on, how come bad things could be done by good people (bad ones are not so interesting), how to protect yourself, your organization and thus society from that. You will find there the easiest explanations of such concepts like ethical dilemma, framing effect, ethical blindness, strong situation, will review a set of heuristics in people’s adaptive toolbox, will see how strong context, language and different types of pressure influenced decision-making at famous failures at giant organizations (Ford, Enron, NASA and others) and more.  Additional materials to course's topics should be noted too, the most important for me was an essay "Power of Powerless", written by Checkoslovakian dissident V. Gavel in 1978 about the post-totalitarian regime of Soviet Union - how it influenced people's behavior, how weak it was and why it looked vise-versa - strongly recommend to all people suffering from totalitarian institutions (or its parody). Though the documentary “Four Horsemen” with critic of capitalism will be not less interesting too. I guess such courses have to be mandatory for all kind of managers, especially recent years when people trust businesses more than governments.

Thrilled to announce that I've successfully completed the "Unethical Decision Making Course" 🌟 This course has been a journey into understanding the complexities of ethical decision-making, exploring the intricacies of navigating moral dilemmas, and honing skills to make principled choices in various scenarios. I'm grateful for the insightful lessons, thought-provoking discussions, and the opportunity to delve into the nuances of ethical considerations. It's a testament to the importance of continuous learning and growing both personally and professionally. A big thank you to Professors Guido Palazzo & Ulrich Hoffrage for providing an enriching learning experience. Looking forward to applying these newfound insights in real-world situations.

Excellent designed course with very comprehensive presentation of key issues of unethical behavior in corporate environment. Very good examples demonstrating a particular ethical issues and its consequences. The course helps to understand already known compliance instruments and what could be done for their improvement. For instance, it makes clear why tone on the top is important for building healthy corporate culture, which is often formally declared as an important element in companies, but very often its importance underestimated.

Course was very detailed and contained tons of theoretical but still useful information on business ethics. Very useful for a person who works in compliance, audit, FCPA and any kind of anti-corruption regulatory department.

The only downside is final assessment process - the length of a certificate obtaining process is indeed dependable on the amount of other participants in the course at the moment. If there are no other participants to assess final essay, one can wait for weeks.

Overall very good course and I highly recommend it!

A really useful introduction to a subject which sometimes receives insufficient attention in mainstream degree courses, or other professional training opportunities. The course content was comprehensive and engaging. Very helpful in informing my thinking as an executive in a government agency on how to remain alert to risks of ethical blindness, and how to best construct ethical guard rails to help keep my CEO and the wider organisation safe from the potential for unethical conduct in our complex workplace.

I highly recommend enrolling in this online course with at least three other peers to form a cohort. This approach ensures that you have enough classmates to review the final essay effectively. I noticed that some of the essays I reviewed were from 2021, highlighting the importance of current peer interaction. The course itself is excellent, providing insightful and engaging content throughout. My only regret is that it isn't longer, as I would have loved to delve deeper into the subject matter.

This is a great course providing insights into the background of unethical decisions, the role of different factors leading to unethical decisions, ways to protect oneself and one's organisation. Very engaging and inspiring. Two drawbacks: One is the waiting time for peer review of the final assignment, in my case more than 5 weeks from submission. Two: Upon successful completion, I did not received the promised certificate and did not find any download option on the course page.

Decision making has always been important, and in these times it is even more so.

Making decisions is linked to consequences and results. It is necessary to recognize how character development, leadership and environment play important roles and influence decision making. Being aware of how we make decisions personally and in our organizations allows us to be more effective.

It gives us the opportunity to help ourselves and others. Wonderful course, thank you!

Ce cours est extrêmement inspirant! Les professeurs Palazzo et Hoffrage donnent des exemples réels ainsi que des outils concrets pour éviter, voire contrer les risques liés à l'éthique dans nos décisions personnelles et professionnelles.

Cette formation devrait être intégrée dans tous les cursus professionnels, qu'ils soient opérationnels ou managériaux.

Je le recommande vivement!

I really apreciated this course. It was my first experience with coursera. I did a lot of peer review and saw that a lot of my "classmates" used a lot more than the 1000 allowed words. The texts of the videos should be in another format than just "*.txt" because thus they are quite hard to read... But beside this I learned a lot.

The course is very good, covering philosophical foundation of ethics and real-life challenges and experiences. Quizzes and essay tasks are well thought through. To improve: make some of the reading material accessible as some are protected by a pay-wall. And, there are small typos and minor pronunciation hiccups. Best, Michael

The course provide very good introduction to unethical decision-making, referring to many practical examples. Moreover, the course introduces the ethical blidness concept and tools for analyzing this blidness in every company. The course is higly recommended to those dealing with decision-making.

In comparison to other online courses this one is very diverting: excellent edutainment. The content is well selected and structurized. I enjoyed the lessons. My knowledge and sensitivity for un-ethical issues, esp. dilemmas, is broader and I am able to act more mindful. Thank you.