In Favor of Clear Thinking: Incorporating Moral Rules into a Wise Cost-Benefit Analysis

11 Pages Posted: 11 Jul 2009 Last revised: 6 Aug 2009

See all articles by Max H. Bazerman

Max H. Bazerman

Harvard Business School - Negotiations, Organizations and Markets Unit

Joshua D. Greene

Harvard University - Department of Psychology

Date Written: July 9, 2009

Abstract

Bennis, Medin, and Bartels (2009) have contributed an interesting paper on the comparative benefit of moral rules versus cost-benefit analysis. Many of their specific comments are accurate, useful, and insightful. At the same time, we believe they have misrepresented cost-benefit analysis and have reached a set of conclusions that are misguided and, if adopted wholesale, potentially dangerous. Overall, they offer wise suggestions for making CBA more effective, rather than eliminating CBA as a decision-making tool.

Suggested Citation

Bazerman, Max H. and Greene, Joshua D., In Favor of Clear Thinking: Incorporating Moral Rules into a Wise Cost-Benefit Analysis (July 9, 2009). Harvard Business School NOM Unit Working Paper No. 10-001, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1431982 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1431982

Max H. Bazerman (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School - Negotiations, Organizations and Markets Unit ( email )

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United States
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HOME PAGE: http://www.people.hbs.edu/mbazerman

Joshua D. Greene

Harvard University - Department of Psychology ( email )

33 Kirkland St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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