Kompetenz, Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung und die Rolle von Vorbildern in der Ordnungsethik [The importance of moral competence, self-efficacy and role models for order ethics]

According to the order ethics approach to business ethics, moral rules must be im-plemented by institutions that provide incentives for following the rules. As a minimal (normative) condition, these institutions must be able to motivate the homo eco-nomicus. But even if an institution passes this test, it will only motivate actual people (i.e. the homo psychologicus) to follow moral rules, if they have the relevant compe-tences and self-efficacy beliefs. Consequently, good institutional design includes com-prehensive change management. At this point applied order ethics can draw on find-ings of psychology and experimental economics. It turns out, that role models can support self-efficacy beliefs and are thus more important for order ethics than has traditionally been assumed

Peer influence in bullying: The autonomy-enhancing effect of moral competence

Research has found that moral competence is negatively associated with bullying behavior in schools, but the drivers of this association are not yet well understood. In this paper, we report on two studies which suggest that moral competence acts as a moderator of peer influence in the context of school bullying. Data were collected at two time points in three German higher secondary schools (grades 7–10, average age at measurement: 14.26 years). Using a cross‐lagged panel design (CLPD), study 1 (N  = 251) found adolescents with low moral competence to be susceptible to peer influence, while no such effect was found for adolescents with high moral competence. Study 2, a cross‐sectional analysis (N  = 748), found moral competence to be inversely related to the likelihood of an individual's conforming with the pro‐bullying behavior of his or her peers. Neither study found corresponding effects for pro‐social, defending behavior. Our findings further illuminate the associations between moral competence, peer influence, and school bullying. Some implications for bullying prevention are discussed

Does visualization enhance complex problem solving? The effect of causal mapping on performance in the computer-based microworld Tailorshop

Abstract Causal mapping is often recognized as a technique to support strategic decisions and actions in complex problem situations. Such drawing of causal structures is supposed to particularly foster the understanding of the interaction of the various system elements and to further encourage holistic thinking. It builds on the idea that humans make use of mental maps to represent their environment and to make predictions about it. However, a profound theoretical underpinning and empirical research of the effects of causal mapping on problem solving is missing. This study compares a causal mapping approach with more common problem solving techniques utilizing the standardized computer-simulated microworld Tailorshop. Results show that causal mapping leads to a worse performance in managing the Tailorshop and was not associated with increased knowledge about the underlying system's structure. We conclude that the successful representation of the causal structure and the control of a complex scenario require the concerted interplay of cognitive skills that go beyond drawing causal maps