Question

Assume that a supervisor tells an employee to falsify information for tax purposes. The employee would prefer not to do anything dishonest but is hesitant to disobey. Milgram's studies suggest the employee will be most likely to disobey if the

a. employee knows that another employee has refused

b. superior gives the order in person

c. supervisor is not a person of particularly high status

d. supervisor is only the employee's immediate superior

Answer 1

Based on Milgram's research on obedience, an employee would be most likely to disobey an unethical order from a supervisor if they know that another employee has refused to follow a similar order.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question explores the conditions under which an employee is most likely to disobey an unethical order from a supervisor, within the context of Stanley Milgram's studies on obedience to authority. Milgram's research showed that subjects were more likely to follow orders that contradicted their moral beliefs when those orders were given by an authority figure.

However, obedience decreased when the personal connection to the victim increased, when the authority of the person giving the orders seemed less legitimate, or when orders were given from a distance. Therefore, referencing Milgram's findings, the employee would be most likely to disobey if:

The employee knows that another employee has refused. This is consistent with Milgram's findings, where witnessing acts of disobedience by others can encourage one to disobey as well.

In contrast, having the supervisor give the order in person or having the supervisor as a person of high status or as the employee's immediate superior would typically increase obedience, according to Milgram's studies.