The Ethical Executive: Becoming Aware of the Root Causes of Unethical Behavior: 45 Psychological Traps that Every One of Us Falls Prey To

Robert Hoyk, Paul Hersey

Stanford University Press, Apr 7, 2010 - Business & Economics - 152 pages

In this book, Hoyk and Hersey describe 45 "unethical traps" into which any one of us can fall. These traps, they say, can erupt in any organizational environment. Some of these traps distort our perception of right and wrong—so we actually believe our unethical behavior is right. Many of them are psychological in nature, and if we are not aware of them they are like illusions—webs of deception. In the authors' analysis, these traps significantly contributed to the large-scale corporate disasters we witnessed in recent years.

Hoyk and Hersey take account of these realities and offer a "real-world" method that will predict, preclude, and, if necessary, "get us out of" these traps. Given the increased scrutiny under which all executives and mangers operate today, this book is a 'must read' for anyone who is charged with achieving an organization's mission—whether that mission is increasing profit, serving the common good, or both.

Contents

• Trapped: 1
• Why This Isnt Just Another Business Ethics Book: 8
• primary traps: 15
• Small Steps: 21
• Competition: 27
• SelfInterest: 31
• Tyranny of Goals: 32
• Money: 33
• Conflicts of Interest: 35
• Conflicts of Loyalty: 37
• Trap 11: 38
• Dont Make Waves: 44
• SelfEnhancement: 46
• Time Pressure: 48
• Decision Schemas: 51
• Enacting a Role: 53
• Power: 55
• Justification: 57
• Obligation: 60
• PART II: 61
• Annihilation of Guilt: 63
• Going Numb: 64
• Alcohol: 65
• Desensitization: 66
• Minimizing: 68
• Renaming: 69
• Advantageous Comparison and Zooming Out: 70
• Everybody Does It: 71
• We Wont Get Caught: 72
• SelfServing Bias: 73
• Addiction: 75
• Coworker Reactions: 77
• Established Impressions: 79
• Contempt for the Victim: 82
• Doing Is Believing: 85
• PART III: 87
• Psychopathy: 89
• Poverty and Neglect: 92
• Low SelfEsteem: 94
• Authoritarianism: 95
• Social Dominance Orientation: 96
• Need for Closure: 98
• Empathy: 100
• ANALYZING DILEMMAS: 103
• The Parable of the Sadhu: 105
• Analysis: 106
• Time Pressure: 107
• SelfServing Bias: 108
• Jonestown: 109
• Final Words: 117
• Index: 131

About the author

Robert Hoyk is a Clinical Psychologist and has conducted research in several institutions. He has taught communication skills to executives, physicians, and couples. Paul Hersey is Distinguished Professor of Leadership Studies at Nova Southeastern University. He co-authored, with Ken Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior (Prentice Hall).

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Ethical Executive: Becoming Aware of the Root Causes of Unethical Behavior: 45 Psychological Traps that Every One of Us Falls Prey To
• Authors: Robert Hoyk, Paul Hersey
• Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2010
• ISBN: 080477613X, 9780804776134
• Length: 152 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Management