Cultivating Disaster
by Miki Saxon
What happens when a normally ethical person is told to “fix it” by a person in authority?
Research shows that most people put a high priority on following orders from authority figures, a trait that is cultivated and rewarded in families, schools, churches, the military and the workplace… “As human beings, we are predisposed to be obedient to authority, no matter how malevolent it may be,” said Edward Soule, an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown who has a Ph.D. in philosophy and focuses on the intersection of morality and management.
What bosses at every level need to recognize is the effect their position has on those below them.
Not only recognize, but understand the impact and the possibly disastrous results that can come from trying to comply.
It’s not necessarily an implied “or else” that gets them, but the implied “whatever it takes” coupled with that human predisposition that gets them in trouble—and can take the whole company down with them.
Quote the above to most managers and they’ll equate authority with the CEO and other executives, but not with themselves.
However, ask workers about authority and they usually start with their immediate boss.
Stock.xchng image credit: ugaldew
