Noble cause corruption is the idea that some people will behave unethically, if they think its for the greater good.

It’s often used in conversations about police corruption.

Example of Noble Cause Corruption

• A police officer who plants evidence or entices a person to commit a larger crime than they’d planned may justify it to themselves because they “are making the streets safer.”

Lessons for Sellouts

• People’s actions can be #influence by a larger reason for acting.
  • It seems obvious, but business school thinking has made us think people only act in self-interest.
  • Clearly, people also act to please groups (their colleagues) and for the good of society.