N°25-103: Organizational Ethics in Action: The Use of Contemplation Questions as Decision Aids in Large Companies

Organizations are investing increasing effort and resources into supporting ethical decisionmaking among employees. One common approach involves the use of  "contemplation questions" (CQs) - simple, reflective prompts designed to encourage thoughtful consideration of ethical challenges. In this study, we compile a unique dataset on CQ usage among the world's largest companies and find that at least 35% of Fortune Global 200 companies and 59% of S&P 200 companies employ CQs. An analysis of 727 CQs reveals significant variation across regions and industries. Based on an employee survey, we propose a classification of CQs according to the normative references they invoke, resulting in five categories: Law and Reputation, Company Policies and Culture, Universal Principles, Self, and Peers. We find that companies favor CQs focused on legal and organizational norms, whereas employees rate questions appealing to universal principles and personal values as more useful - indicating a potential mismatch between corporate practices and employee preferences and motivating future research on behavioral effectiveness.