The ethical challenges of teaching business ethics: ethical sensemaking through the Goffmanian lens

Taran Patel, Rose Bote, Jovana Stanisljevic

Journal of Business Ethics · 2024 · Volume 190 · Issue 1

Abstract

The class began with me presenting data on the pay gap between men and women in both developed and developing countries. The discussion soon became animated, and gradually escalated to heated debates between male and female students. While male students argued that women worked less, and therefore lower salaries were justified, female students found such arguments baseless. In an attempt to prevent the discussion from getting out of hand, I offered recent examples of top female leaders from varied sectors (hospitals, universities, etc.) complaining of lower salaries than male counterparts. I hoped to make the point that even high performing women experience gender-based discrimination. This led male students to remark that my own gender was biasing my arguments. This left me wondering… I was upset but could not express my sentiments for fear of being negatively perceived… yet, I spent an uncomfortable night replaying the scene from the classroom in my mind over and over again….—A female business ethics professor in a European school.

Keywords

Teaching business ethics, Ethical sensemaking, Dramaturgical performances, Ethical challenges, Goffman

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