Comments on: Study Finds Women are More Ethical at Work than Men

By: Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:51:11 +0000

Greg, I try to avoid reading comments when they don’t add to the conversation. The comments on the CNN article are the perfect example of that. Unfortunately, many sites prefer to let the conversation happen to get more page views (and ad revenue) rather than making an effort to keep the conversation on topic with meaningful and appropriate debate.

I agree with Stephen’s comment above that the study reflects a societal expectation and learned behaviors. It’s not that men are less ethical overall, but are they more focused on the goal and less on the steps to get there? Are they taught throughout life to get the job done, and if so, is that a behavior that businesses should continue to foster? As long as shareholders expect double-digit growth year-over-year, I’m going to assume that companies will continue with business as usual. But is this the best long-term strategy?

I’d like to hear some psychology experts discuss this topic.

Thanks for joining the conversation!

By: Greg Marcus

Greg Marcus — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:32 +0000

The CNN article gives some additional helpful detail. Wow, the comments were particularly interesting. The study seems to have struck a nerve. The conclusion I take is that women are more likely to avoid a situation where their ethics will be compromised. Good foresight. The comments reflect the biases of those who are reading, and somehow people feel entitled to bash others without restraint.

By: Greg Marcus

Greg Marcus — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:50:59 +0000

Thank you Susan, for some reason it was hard for me to see.

By: Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:32:11 +0000

In reply to Greg Marcus. Greg, Just click on the CNN hyperlink in the first paragraph. That takes you to the source for more information.

By: Greg Marcus

Greg Marcus — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:20:45 +0000

I’d love to read the original research. Although you mention a link, I don’t see it. Can you please send to me?

By: Vic

Vic — Sun, 19 May 2013 07:14:31 +0000

I can prove that women are even more trustworthy than men in business. I’ve been never deceived by a woman 🙂

By: Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:07:33 +0000

Steve, I agree — this is an interesting topic for discussion and I also agree that innate differences in how men and women are led to think they should behave has a significant impact. For example, does our society create an expectation of competition, success, doing whatever it takes to get the job done, and so on as the expectation which leads to less focus on ethics in the workplace among males? I think the answer is probably yes, and I agree that it’s a societal/learned behavior structure that has a significant effect on workplace behavior between men and women. This is particularly true in public companies where “not” getting the job done is likely to end badly for the employee.

By: Stephen Lahey

Stephen Lahey — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:39:01 +0000

I think that (in work situations) many men are so intensely and narrowly focused on achieving their goals that they become a bit ruthless. Sad, I think. Perhaps this points to a broader societal issue that needs to be addressed.