Business Ethics

by
Dr Faryal Razzaq
Lecture 3

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 Attribution Theory

• Determine whether caused internally or externally

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Other Key Personality Traits attributed to
Ethical Behaviours

Locus of control - Belief that life is controlled by

oneself vs. outsiders
Machiavellianism - Tendency to manipulate and
maintain emotional distance
Self-esteem - Degree one likes or dislikes oneself
Self-monitoring - Sensitive to external cues to
behave differently
Risk propensity - Willingness to take chances
Type A personality - Incessantly struggling to
achieve more
IDEAL SELF
 Conformity Bias

• Normative Conformity the idea of fitting vs belonging. where one

may change their beliefs, behaviors, and actions to “fit in” with a
particular group

• Informational conformity where one may agree with or look to one

specific group in instances where one lacks knowledge on a
particular topic.
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 Three Dominant Normative Bias

• Internalization Conformity

• Compliance Bias

• Identification Bias

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 Types of Normative Conformity Bias

• Normative conformity
• Internalization conformity willingness to change
behavior to be more like someone else or fit in.
• Compliance conformity changing one’s thoughts,
behaviors, and actions while still internally disagreeing
with the group.
• Identification conformity refers to changing one’s
behaviors based on their role in society.
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 Internalization Conformity Studies

Asch Line Conformity Study

Experiment

• Solomon Asch (1953)

• Importance of people around in

decision making process
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 Internalization Conformity Studies Cont’d

Asch Line Conformity Study (Internalization

Conformity)

• 3rd stage actors frowned at subjects’ right answer

• 12 stages & 75% complied

• Behavior change by the pressure to adopt to

environment, people don’t’ want to be the only
intrusion 11
 Conformity and the Asch Studies
◼ Demonstrated that subjects conformed in about 35% of the trials
◼ Group norms press us toward conformity
◼ Members desire to be one of the group and avoid being visibly
different
◼ Members with differing opinions feel extensive pressure to align
with others
 Milgram Shock Experiment
Compliance Conformity

• Stanley Milgram (1961)

• Study People’s willingness &

tendency to submit to authority

• It sounds like roles are randomly

allocated
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 Milgram Shock Experiment
Compliance Conformity

• Subject is given shock before experiment

them how it may affect

• Task: read a word from list. Then he will count 4

options and ask the student to choose the option
that matches the word.

• With every wrong answer, the electric shock

increase

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 Milgram Shock Experiment

• The authority will insist 4 times

stop experiment 5th time.

• Teacher reluctant, but the money

the authority orders continue the
experiment.
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 Milgram Shock Experiment

• Pressure of authority over came pity.

• The maximum shock level 450 volts.

• 65% of the subjects submitted

the highest dose
submitting to the authority.

• The individual does not see themselves

responsible for behavior while doing
what someone else wants. 17
 Stanford Prison Experiments
Identification Bias

• Philip Zimbardo 1971

• Social roles on human behavior

• Confined environment labelled with the title

of a prisoner or correctional officer

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 Stanford Prison Experiments
Identification Bias

• 24 physically and mentally healthy

undergraduate

• Started conforming to assigned roles

• Officers became aggressive and hostile

• Guards were allowed to return to their homes

after their shift.

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 Stanford Prison Expérimentes
Identification Bias

• Lasted 14 days
microphones and cams.

• They were allowed to interact as

they like

• Five of the prisoners had to be

released early
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 Stanford Prison Experiments
Identification Bias

• Zimbardo, prison warden,

overlooked the abusive behavior until
Christina Maslach voiced objections.
• demonstrated the power that societal
roles and
expectations can play in a person's
behavior 21
 Conditions of Conformity

• more people are present

• task becomes more difficult

• members of the group are of a higher social status

• when people are able to respond privately

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