Becoming as Ethical as We Think We Are: the Ethical Learner at Work

We offer a model for improving ethical behavior in organizations. Integrating research about ethical decision-making with research about the self, we argue that self-threat is a pervasive obstacle to improving ethical behavior, particularly in work environments. To this end, we introduce the concept of ethical learners. Ethical learners possess a central moral identity (they care about being ethical), psychological literacy (an awareness that a gap exists between intended and actual ethical behavior), and a growth mindset (the belief that purposeful effort can improve ethical behavior). We also describe an important team-level condition for translating ethical learning into improvements in ethical behavior: psychological safety (the belief that the team is a safe place for learning from failure). Our model of ethical learners provides both individuals and organizations with a new approach to improving ethical behavior.