The Invisibility of Ethical Dilemmas

Decision-making dilemmas are omnipresent in companies. However, the corresponding choices are often only recognized as ethically questionable once they are scandalized. To better understand ethical predicaments in companies, this class adopts an organizational theory perspective onto ethics. What are organizational contexts in which ethical conflicts can arise? And what makes it so difficult to recognize these dicey decisions when no scandal surrounds them?

During the course, we will discuss

• the normalization of (moral) deviance in organizations;
• organizational thresholds for communicating about moral dilemmas;
• the role of record-keeping and accounting in achieving or avoiding visibility.

Oral Participation (20%)