
Foster School of Business
University of Washington
Box: 353226
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
The biggest secret of business ethics is that there is nothing new to be taught. The biggest lie of business ethics is that there is nothing new to be learned.
Featured Research
- Coercing employees to be “good soldiers” can trigger deviant behaviors
- Christmas cheer? The hidden toll of friendly customer service
- Hunger drives unethical acts, but only in the quest for food
- Personal beliefs + corporate culture produce unethical behavior
- Moral compass can shift depending on organizational role, expectations
- The Year in Research: 2013-14
- The Foster Why
- Want moral behavior? Pay attention to moral attentiveness
Scott J. Reynolds
- Professor of Business Ethics Weyerhaeuser Endowed Faculty Fellow
Education
- PhD University of Minnesota (2002)
- MOB Brigham Young University (1995)
- BS Brigham Young University (1993)
Academic Expertise
- corporate social responsibility
- ethics
Current Research
- Ethical decision making
Positions Held
- At the University of Washington since 2002
Selected Publications
- “Overcoming the psychological barriers of CSR“Journal Article:Reynolds, S. J., (in press). Organizational Dynamics,
- “The benefits and perils of job candidates’ signaling their morality in selection decisions“Journal Article:Yam, K. C., Reynolds, S. J., Wiltermuth, S. S. & Zhang, Y., (in press). Personnel Psychology, pp. 1-27.
- “The dark side: Giving context and meaning to a growing genre of ethics-related research.“Journal Article:Reynolds, S. J. & Bae, E., (in press). Business and Society 360, Emerald Publishers Vol. 3,
- “The study of behavioral ethics within organizations“Journal Article:Mitchell, M. S., Reynolds, S. J. & Treviño, L. K., (2020). Personnel Psychology, Vol. 73(1), pp. 5-17.
- “Turning good soldiers into bad apples: Examining when and why citizenship behavior leads to deviance“Journal Article:Yam, K. C., Klotz, A. C., He, W., & Reynolds, S., (2017). Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 60, pp. 1-24.
- “Are the “customers” of business ethics courses satisfied? An examination of one source of business ethics education legitimacy“Journal Article:Reynolds, S. J. & Dang, C. T., (2016). Business & Society, Vol. 56, pp. 947–974.
- “The effect of victim anonymity on unethical behavior“Journal Article:Yam, K. C., & Reynolds, S. J., (2016). Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 136, pp. 13-22.
Working Papers
- “Morality in the Age of Robots: A Model of Individual Moral Behavior within Advanced Human-Machine Interactions,” with U. Kahn.
- “The skeptical advocate: Incorporating the normative into behavioral ethics research.”
- “The moral self.”
PhD Student Collaborators
Honors and Awards
- Master Ethics Teacher, Wheatley Institution, Brigham Young University, 2019
- TMMBA Faculty of the Quarter, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010
- Lex N. Gamble Family Award for Excellence in Case Development and Curriculum Innovation, 2014
- University of Washington Distinguished Graduate Mentor Nominee, 2008
- Dean’s Junior Faculty Research Award, 2007
Courses Taught
- I teach courses on Ethical Leadership in several of our MBA programs. Ethical leaders are able to effectively handle and resolve individual, managerial and organizational issues with moral content. In these courses, I use readings, cases, and discussions to help our students develop their knowledge and abilities in each of these three areas.