Reading “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices” by Ron Carucci had me reflecting on my knowledge and experience so far within the business school at NC State, as well as within my minor in Psychology. One section that particularly stood out to me was the lack of safety that can be felt to speak up when you may question something or have a concern. I think sometimes there can be stigmas around leaders being “untouchable” or “unapproachable” because they are simply categorized at a higher level than yourself. Even codes of ethics don’t need to be explained for those fundamental structures to be established. There are so many inherent fears surrounding speaking out about something you care about, whether it effects your coworkers, the organization, or yourself. I like the way the article describes the how to rise above this situation, saying “creating a culture in which people freely speak up is vital to ensuring people don’t collude with, or incite, misconduct (”Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices”, p. 2).

While this article doesn’t describe the exact measures that can be taken to create this welcoming culture, I have thoughts on how this environment can come about. I will be approaching this from a solutions perspective that would prevent these fears from cultivating in the first place. When there is an environment where titles define each persons hierarchal status, there are bound to be inherent fears about speaking up; however, if you start an organization that prioritizes every single staff member as equally as possible and makes them feel like they are just as part of the team at its leader, I think true comfort and development can occur within an organization. Not only could this create a comfortable and approachable space, but it could develop a healthier and more productive company.

Carucci, Ron. “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices.” Harvard Business Review, 16 Dec. 2016, hbr.org/2016/12/why-ethical-people-make-unethical-choices. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.