Ethics Video Paper: Conformity Bias and Fundamental Attribution Error

When considering business related ethics, it is important to take into account ethics in general. Two such important sub topics within ethics are the dangers of Conformity Bias and the threats imposed by the Fundamental Attribution Error. On the “Ethics Unwrapped” site, two videos, each relating to and named after one of the previously mentioned topics are helpful in gaining knowledge about what these two topics are about and the potential ethical dilemmas they create. I believe these two topics are important to discuss because of the fact that everyone, especially including those in business environments, have fallen prey to these two concepts more often than other sub topics relating to ethics.

The first video, “Fundamental Attribution Error” talks about the ethical problem of the same name. The Fundamental Attribution Error (henceforth referred as FAE) is when we attribute and emphasize other’s behaviors solely on character instead of situational factors or the environment around them. However, under the FAE, we believe that when given identical circumstances, we committed the same action because of completely just personal reasons. In the video, numerous examples are cited. Let’s say we have two people, yourself and Marty McFly (who coincidently shares the name of the protagonist from Back to the Future but has no other relation). You find out that Marty has been cheating on his wife, and automatically assume it is because he is a terrible, awful human being. However, you are also cheating on your wife, but you tell yourself it was because you had one to many drinks at the bar last night. You also find out Marty has been “fudging” or falsifying numbers and accounts at his work place and believe it is because he is some kind o...

... middle of paper ...

... remedied. As such I give it five out of five stars because of importance and relevance to the real world, and it is a definite “must watch” video. The video about Fundamental Attribution Error is also important but not as important as the former on CB. FAE will not necessarily lead to deaths of others (though it may sometimes in extreme cases) and mostly affects day to day activities instead of national or international concerns, and really has more to do with “I can do it because I am an amazing person while that other guy is probably a crazy freak” and as such doesn’t tend to do too much physical harm to others. While it is a problem, it can be remedied easier than the former CB. I give it four out of five because while it is important to consider in day to day activities and can also be applied in the real world, it does not have as severe consequences as CB.