The Zicklin Center supports research that integrates the knowledge base and analytical methods of cognitive neuroscience into the study of ethical decision-making in business. This multidisciplinary approach creates continuity between normative ethics and descriptive ethics through study of the cognitive processes underlying ethical decision-making in business.

This pillar is composed of three distinct and interrelated streams of business ethics inquiry: i) research on individual differences in the cognitive processes underlying ethical decision-making; ii) investigation of the impact of organizational and contextual factors on individual ethical decision-making and behavior; and iii) the study of perceptions of corporate ethics and social responsibility initiatives. Specific topics include: Brain structures and functions that support ethical reasoningBrain structures and functions that help define normative judgmentGender, culture and personality variables affecting ethical reasoning.

The relationship between risk-taking and ethical decision-makingThe relationship between emotion and ethical decision-makingIndividual responses to corporate social responsibility programsThe Center aims to advance the contribution of cognitive neuroscience to the field of business ethics by bringing together and integrating the contributions of researchers from a broad selection of disciplines. The Center carries out its aim by, among other things, organizing workshops and conferences for scholars to discuss their work.