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Prize winner
Published by:
London Business School
(2014)
Version:
January 15 2014
Length:
29 pages
Data source:
Published sources
Topics:
Abstract:
The UBS case outlines how individual ambition and lax organisational standards and oversight can lead to consistent unethical behaviour resulting in a crippling loss at a large investment bank. Even though the industry had as recently as 2007 been subject to the ramifications of similar behaviour with Jerome Kerviel’s 4.9billion euros loss at Societe Generale, the UBS case highlights how quickly internal controls and ethical concerns can be overlooked. Intense external concerns, driven by a weakening economy, and institutional pressure, due to declining profits, forced internal controls and thorough explanations to be neglected in order to pursue profit. The case also highlights how weak corporate culture and unclear organisational structure can facilitate unethical behaviour. While individuals in Adoboli’s role would be expected to lose money on occasion, personal incentive, both from financial gain and organisational advancement, drove Adoboli to conceal his losses from the bank.
Learning objectives:
1. Highlight how individual cognitive failings and weaknesses (social comparison, moral disengagement, framing effects) can combine with systemic organisational failures and weaknesses, to lead to dangerous and dramatically bad outcomes. 2. Demonstrate how prevalent practices in organisational settings (ie goal-setting) can have unintended negative consequences. 3. To show how individual corruption and organisational misconduct can be the result of slippery slopes, leading people to be unaware of the extent of the danger or illegality of their own behaviour.
Prizes won:
