Does Loyalty Cause Ethical or Unethical Behaviour? (Answer: Yes!)

business_ethics_highlights_2Loyalty is a double-edged sword. Loyalty to a “team” is often cited as a source of bad behaviour. But evidence shows that loyalty can also inspire more ethical behaviour (beyond simply being faithful to your group). The Harvard research explained below is fascinating. >>>

LINK: If You’re Loyal to a Group, Does It Compromise Your Ethics? (by Francesca Gino for Harvard Business Review)

As our research shows, loyalty can be a driver of good behavior, but when competition among groups is high, it can lead us to behave unethically. When we are part of a group of loyal members, traits associated with loyalty — such as honor, honesty, and integrity — are very salient in our minds. But when loyalty seems to demand a different type of goal, such as competing with other groups and winning at any cost, behaving ethically becomes a less important goal…

What do you think?


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