Which statement best reflects the relationship described by the Ethical Dissonance Model?

Which statement best reflects the relationship described by the Ethical Dissonance Model?

• A. An organization's ethics should align with an individual's ethics
• B. An organization's ethics are independent of individual ethics
• C. An individual's ethics should always override organizational ethics
• D. Neither matters

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is harmony between personal values and the organization’s values. The Ethical Dissonance Model focuses on how cognitive discomfort arises when what a person believes is right clashes with the organization’s norms, policies, or culture. To minimize that tension and promote ethical behavior, the model suggests alignment between an individual’s ethics and the organization’s ethics. When an organization cultivates a culture, policies, and leadership practices that reflect employees’ values, decisions are more likely to be consistent and ethical across the board. So the statement that an organization’s ethics should align with an individual’s ethics best captures how the model views reducing dissonance and fostering ethical conduct. If ethics were independent, override, or irrelevant, the model wouldn’t address the real tension people feel in morally conflicting situations.

The key idea here is harmony between personal values and the organization’s values. The Ethical Dissonance Model focuses on how cognitive discomfort arises when what a person believes is right clashes with the organization’s norms, policies, or culture. To minimize that tension and promote ethical behavior, the model suggests alignment between an individual’s ethics and the organization’s ethics. When an organization cultivates a culture, policies, and leadership practices that reflect employees’ values, decisions are more likely to be consistent and ethical across the board.

So the statement that an organization’s ethics should align with an individual’s ethics best captures how the model views reducing dissonance and fostering ethical conduct. If ethics were independent, override, or irrelevant, the model wouldn’t address the real tension people feel in morally conflicting situations.