Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

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What do economics, psychology, and experimental science have in common? As Richard Thaler implies in Misbehaving: The making of behavioral economics, most economists would say little to none — but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Misbehaving is, first and foremost, a story of how modern economics, finance, and theoretical analysis have become increasingly specialized and narrow without substantial practical value. Utilizing empirical studies and anecdotes, funny stories, and even some jokes, Thaler persuades the reader that behavioral studies — or psychology-motivated disciplines which focus on humans, not mythical rational agents — are here to stay. 

Thaler’s findings have numerous and far-reaching implications for designing and implementing ethical systems within organizations. Read our book review and learn more.

Book Review: Margaret Heffernan’s “Beyond Measure”

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Margaret Heffernan's new book "Beyond Measure: The big impact of small changes," is an original manifesto for business leaders. Creating strong organizational cultures does not require multi-million dollar programs; instead, small actions by each employee- from Custodian to CEO- matter more and have the biggest impact.

Trust

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Ethics and trust are inextricably linked. We are interested in ethics in large part because we are concerned, even obsessed, with the question of who we can trust is a world where there is risk and uncertainty. In our relationships, we humans…

Internal Reporting

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Internal Reporting refers to any time that a member of an organization (or a former member) tells someone else about an illegal or immoral practice, if the telling is done in the hope that someone will do something to change the practice.…

The Power of Noticing: What the Best Leaders See

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The Power of Noticing: What the Best Leaders See   By Max H. Bazerman Simon and Schuster (2014) Summarized by Bryan Turner   What if you had the ability to make better decisions and all you had to do was to make slight adjustments…

Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want

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Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want by Nicholas Epley Knopf, Borzoi Books (2014) Summarized by Bryan Turner   Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want is a book…

Barings Bank

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EthicalSystems.org Case Study: Barings Bank A collaborative effort by Jennifer Fang and Joshua Elle  “As my noble friend Lord Hollick argued, trading is all about the control of a collection of   rogues—of strongly motivated, financially…
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Sidetracked

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Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan by Francesca Gino [Important context: this author has several publications retracted or under review] Harvard Business Review Press (2013) (public library) Summarized…
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Give and Take

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Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant Penguin Group (2013) (public library) Summarized by Joshua Elle Overview Adam Grant combines personal accounts and contemporary research, both made readily accessible, to build…
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Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

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Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Crown Business, 1st Ed. (2010) (public library) Summarized by Jennifer Fang Overview Change is difficult, or so most people believe. Switch identifies the crucial…