In the 2025 article “Emotional Intelligence and Business Ethics: Feeling Confident in Doing the Right Thing”, authors Robert W. McGee, Gürhan Kök, and Kevin M. Lowe investigate how emotional intelligence influences ethical behavior in the workplace. Published in Business Ethics: A European Review, the study explores a previously underexamined connection between emotional self-awareness and ethical confidence. It offers new insights into how individuals‘ emotional skills contribute to their ability to recognize, interpret, and respond to moral challenges in business settings.
The core premise of the article is that emotional intelligence, especially the intrapersonal ability to recognize and regulate one’s own emotions, enhances ethical awareness and increases the likelihood of ethical action. The authors argue that people who understand and manage their emotional responses are more confident in their ethical judgments and less likely to defer to social pressure or avoid difficult decisions. This form of emotional self-efficacy becomes a psychological resource in moments where ethical clarity alone may not be enough to drive moral behavior.
Drawing from the theoretical foundation of moral potency and emotional intelligence frameworks, the authors developed a research model that links emotional self-efficacy to ethical behavior through a mediating factor: ethical confidence. Ethical confidence, as they define it, is the belief that one can effectively navigate ethical dilemmas and take appropriate action. It serves as a bridge between knowing what is right and feeling capable of doing it.
To test their model, the authors conducted two empirical studies using diverse samples from university students and working professionals. Both studies used validated scales to measure emotional intelligence, ethical confidence, and self-reported ethical behavior. The findings were consistent across both groups: individuals with higher emotional self-awareness also reported higher ethical confidence, which in turn was associated with a greater likelihood of ethical behavior. These results held even after controlling for demographic variables such as age, gender, and professional experience.
One of the study’s key contributions is the idea that emotional skills are not just soft traits, but measurable and trainable competencies that can shape moral outcomes. The authors suggest that by fostering emotional intelligence in business education and leadership development programs, organizations can strengthen ethical culture from the inside out. Employees who are more aware of their emotional reactions are better prepared to resist peer pressure, address unethical behavior, and remain true to their personal and organizational values.
The study also raises important questions about the design of ethics training in the workplace. Traditional ethics programs often focus on rules, codes of conduct, or case studies that present clear right-versus-wrong scenarios. While these are useful, the authors argue that they may neglect the emotional dimension of ethical decision-making. Integrating emotional intelligence training into ethics curricula could help individuals build the internal confidence needed to act ethically under pressure or uncertainty.
Beyond individual development, the findings have implications for organizational leadership and corporate governance. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence may be more effective in fostering ethical climates, not only by modeling integrity but by supporting their teams in handling ethical stress. This perspective aligns with broader research that connects emotionally intelligent leadership to trust, engagement, and responsible behavior in teams.
Rather than viewing emotional intelligence and business ethics as separate domains, this article highlights their interconnectedness. Emotional intelligence supports ethical thinking by helping individuals manage anxiety, self-doubt, and interpersonal tension that often accompany ethical dilemmas. In turn, greater ethical confidence creates the psychological readiness to act with integrity, even when doing so is difficult or unpopular.
The full article “Emotional Intelligence and Business Ethics: Feeling Confident in Doing the Right Thing” by Robert W. McGee, Gürhan Kök, and Kevin M. Lowe was published in Business Ethics: A European Review in 2025 and is available online here.