As Donald Trump returns to power, what happens when employees no longer respond to traditional ethics messaging? Social scientist Caterina Bulgarella analyzes three post-election behavior patterns that signal mounting challenges for corporate integrity programs.
After months of campaigning and opposing rallying cries, American voters selected the presidential candidate who consistently engaged in norm- and values-breaking behavior. Not even a track record of unethical performance or frequent threats to undo parts of America’s great democratic experiment were disqualifying.
A majority of voters still preferred Donald Trump, the anti-system alternative.
It is possible that most felt confident in democracy’s resilience. Still, many weighed character and ethics as less important than other factors.
Setting aside the political implications of this most recent shift in voting behavior, the last election cycle underscores three patterns that may reshape organizations’ very ability to build an ethical culture: the diminishing impact of values-based appeals, the added complexity of making ethical decisions in a climate of ethical chaos and the hidden comfort norm-breaking behavior may provide at a time of change and uncertainty.
The dwindling impact of values-driven appeals
Whether explicit or subtle,…
