When I was visiting the University of Melbourne on sabbatical, I asked Adam Barsky, how people justify doing something unethical at work.

His answer (based on his research):

Read more about it in his recent paper:

Barsky A. (2011) “Investigating the Effects of Moral Disengagement and Participation on Unethical Work Behavior” Journal of Business Ethics, 104, pp.59 – 75.

With massive corruption uncovered in numerous recent corporate scandals, investigating psychological processes underlying unethic...