Behavioural Ethics
Training
Even principled individuals can make unethical decisions when influenced by psychological biases, social pressures, organisational dynamics, and flawed reasoning processes. This does not happen because people lack values, but because decisions are often made under pressure and within complex environments.
Traditional ethics training often assumes that misconduct stems from weak character or poor values. Behavioural ethics research shows a more complex reality. Unethical conduct can arise from predictable human tendencies such as cognitive bias, group influence, and role expectations.
This training approaches ethical decision-making through a behavioural ethics lens, examining how decisions are made in practice. It focuses on recognising risk in real time and responding effectively.
By integrating behavioural psychology, organisational culture, and governance practice, the training moves beyond awareness to build ethical resilience. It supports organisations to improve judgement under pressure and reduce behavioural ethics risks.
This training is designed for boards, executives, managers, ethics ambassadors, ethics officers, and operational teams. It is particularly relevant for organisations seeking to move from knowing what is right to consistently doing what is right in practice.
The focus is on strengthening ethical judgement, improving the ability to identify behavioural risks early, and applying practical decision-making approaches in real organisational contexts.
During the workshop, the following themes are introduced and explored:
- Social pressures and their influence on ethical judgement, including authority, group dynamics, performance expectations, and fear of exclusion
- The role of organisational culture and how workplace norms can normalise conduct that conflicts with personal values
- Common cognitive biases and ethical blind spots that distort decision-making
- Logical errors and rationalisations, such as false trade-offs or overreliance on authority
- The distinction between ethical dilemmas and behavioural conduct risks
- Practical strategies to recognise ethical risks and respond with sound judgement
The duration of the workshop is a full day.
After successfully completing the EOCP and the practical assignment, participants are awarded accreditation by the Stellenbosch Business School (SBS) and TEI as Certified Ethics Officers.
In addition, all newly certified Ethics Officers receive public recognition on TEI’s website and are automatically enrolled as TEI Supporters, with their first year of subscription fees covered.