Ethical decisions and behavior are complex phenomena, but Ethics Unwrapped – a multimedia educational program produced by UT Austin McCombs’ Center for Leadership and Ethics, has managed to do so succinctly and stylishly for over ten years. “Ethics Unwrapped began as a three-year grant, funded project with a specific charge: to create a research-based video series that would be freely available and helpful for business students to learn about ethics,” said Cara Biasucci, Director of Ethics Education at McCombs’ Center for Leadership and Ethics and Creator of Ethics Unwrapped.
What made the idea for Ethics Unwrapped unique was its application of behavioral ethics, focusing on the why behind everyday ethical decision making. “The research on human decision-making has come a long way in the last few decades; it gives us considerable insight into how our minds work. Most of what we consider “thinking” and “decision-making” happens below our conscious awareness, and no amount of philosophical or religious instruction will make us aware of subconscious biases and pressures,” said Biasucci. “So it’s crucially important to bring these behavioral ethics concepts that interfere with our ethical choices and actions to light so we can keep a watchful eye out for them.”
Since its conception in late 2012, Ethics Unwrapped has grown to host an in-house animator to bring a breadth of video topics to life. “The initial vision has expanded to encompass a video-rich educational resource complete with multiple video series, dozens of case studies, and a wide range of teaching materials – all still freely available – which is useful for students, faculty, and the general public to teach and explore ethical decision-making in all kinds of institutions and organizations,” said Biasucci. Ethics Unwrapped videos have found their way into businesses and classrooms across the country, from bite sized Ethics Defined videos succinctly explaining key ethics terms to the behavioral analysis of newsworthy scandals. “The Ethics Unwrapped Series, especially the video component, is one of the best contributions to business ethics learning I have known in 38 years of teaching the topic,” said Timothy Fort, Professor of Business Ethics at Indiana University. “I use it in all my ethics classes — MBA, executive, and undergraduate — and in my white collar crime classes as well.”
As part of their 10 year anniversary, Ethics Unwrapped is expanding their Concepts Unwrapped series, the introduction to which is embedded below, to include behavioral ethics in sports. This expansion will include interviews with University of Texas student athletes showcasing the importance of moral awareness on and off the field.
To learn more about Ethics Unwrapped and access their 200+ free case studies and videos, pay a visit to the Ethics Unwrapped website where you can find curated educational resources for your area of interest.
Has ethics made a difference at your institution over time? Contact Alexis Jimenez Maldonado, alexismaldonado@fas.harvard.edu, with ideas for forthcoming Spotlights.
Leave a Reply