Title: Moral humility: In life and at work - ScienceDirect
Headings: Moral humility: In life and at work
Research in Organizational Behavior
Moral humility: In life and at work
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Moral humility
Acknowledging our moral fallibility
Moral humility: defined
The Aristotelian ‘mean’
Moral humility at the individual level
Approach
Optimal moral humility: moral awareness
Insufficient moral humility: moral blind spots
Excessive moral humility: moral permissiveness
Ability
Optimal moral humility: moral safeguards
Insufficient moral humility: moral biases
Excessive moral humility: moral indecision
Aftermath
Optimal moral humility: ethical learning
Insufficient moral humility: moral disengagement
Excessive moral humility: moral apathy
Summary
Moral humility at the interpersonal level
Optimal moral humility
Perceptions of integrity and high moral character
Learning from others by seeking moral feedback
Treating others with moral regard
Insufficient moral humility
Perceived as self-righteous
Intolerant of others
Unintentionally harm others
Excessive moral humility
Perceived as morally weak
Unduly influenced by others
Failing to help or protect others
Summary
Moral humility in organizations
Optimal moral humility
Ethical culture
Psychological safety
Moral workplace behavior
Insufficient moral humility
Inadequate structural fixes
Psychological reactance
Unethical workplace behavior
Excessive moral humility
Collective corruption
Less whistleblowing and voice
Unethical workplace behavior
Summary
The beginnings of a research agenda
Summary of predictions, assertions, and expectations
Measurement concerns
Additional avenues for future research
Determining an “optimal” level
Moral learning
Fostering moral humility
Conclusion
References

Content: From a developmental perspective, humility implies a certain level of teachability. We posit that moral humility, in particular, can foster moral conduct and ethical learning, as it helps people learn about their own biases and moral fallibility (i.e., behavioral ethics), helps people learn from others and learn for themselves what they believe is right and wrong (i.e., normative ethics), and helps people learn how to better align their behavior with their belief systems (i.e., the intersection between behavioral and normative ethics). The purpose of this article is to make the case for moral humility as a fundamental virtue that can help people avoid unethical behavior and enable virtuous behavior, and to explore potential outcomes of moral humility at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels—all with an eye toward encouraging future research on this important and morally relevant construct. Moral humility
Acknowledging our moral fallibility
Most people have a basic need for self-worth ( Brown, 1986, James, 1890, Tesser, 1988 ), and self-worth is affected by moral self-views ( Crocker and Wolfe, 2001, Dunning, 2007 ). People therefore generally develop a strong motive to view themselves and be viewed by others as moral individuals ( Monin and Jordan, 2009, Dunning, 2007; Mazar, Amir, & Ariely, 2008 )—a motive that plays an important but often tacit role in many of life’s daily experiences. However, while individuals generally care about morality and have good intentions, they often behave in ways that are contrary to their moral values. Over the past several decades, a host of personal, social, and contextual factors have been identified that increase the likelihood that people will engage in unethical behavior—sometimes without even realizing it. Scholars have developed theories and coined terms such as bounded ethicality ( Chugh, Bazerman, & Banaji, 2005 ), moral disengagement ( Bandura, 1999, Bandura, 2016 ), and ethical fading ( Tenbrunsel & Messick, 2004) to help explain how good people can do bad things, and still feel good about themselves. For example, at the individual level, people often use neutralization techniques ( Bandura, 1999, Bersoff, 1999, Sykes and Matza, 1957 )—such as making advantageous comparisons (e.g., “it’s not like I’m robbing a bank”) or blaming victims (e.g., “it’s their own fault, they had it coming to them)—to rationalize and justify otherwise immoral behavior.