Written by Ludmila Praslova, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP
Research consistently demonstrates that organizations centering ethical practices outperform their peers. Longitudinal evidence shows that companies with a strong focus on ethics and sustainability significantly outperform their counterparts over the long term, both in stock market and accounting performance. For example, the organizations recognized as the "World's Most Ethical Companies" have outperformed a comparable index of large-cap companies by 24.6 percentage points over five years. Companies with strong ethical foundations surpass their peers in financial metrics and market reputation. That positive reputation matters to consumers and is one of the mechanisms supporting the ethical advantage.
Another mechanism of the ethical advantage is ethical leadership. It directly correlates with financial success; companies with strong ethical leadership tend to have better financial performance and lower rates of costly and disruptive turnover.
Fair and inclusive employment practices and valuing the dignity of all people are important aspects of organizational ethics. Inclusive employment practices also directly improve organizational outcomes – for example, neuro-inclusion supports creativity and innovation, and disability employment is linked to revenue growth. Moreover, embracing neurodiversity has a unique potential for boosting the ethical organisational culture through individual-level and organisational-level mechanisms.
Neurodivergence and Ethical Attunement
Recent research suggests a strong link between neurodivergence and ethical sensitivity. For example, autistic people are less susceptible to social influence, making them more likely to report unethical behaviors and contribute to organizational integrity. While autistic truth-telling sometimes comes at a cost to autistic employees, it can be lifesaving to other people and organizations.
Justice attunement and strong motivation toward fairness are also associated with ADHD. Mental health differences, such as anxiety can also be linked to justice sensitivity.
Because of their neurologically wired justice sensitivity and, unfortunately, lived experience that further strengthens the recognition of unfairness, neurodivergent employees function as canaries in coal mines of organisational cultures. When cultures turn toxic or unethical, neurodivergent employees’ distress often becomes the first warning that all members of the organization are in danger.
Group-level Interaction of Neuro-inclusion and Organizational Ethics
The ethical and business benefits of neuro-inclusion go far beyond the talents, sensitivities, and other individual characteristics of neurodivergent employees. They also go beyond the 30% productivity boost experienced by neurodiverse teams. Building ethical and neuro-inclusive organizations supports the overall morale and performance of all employees. It also helps train the organizational ethical “muscle,” which becomes stronger with consistent engagement in just behavior.
The relationship between business ethics and neuro-inclusion is multifaceted. Consider the six evidence-based principles for dignity-focused employment practices outlined in my model for neuro-inclusive work, The Canary Code. Not only do they support neurodivergent employees and unlock their performance – they support both organizational ethics and organizational success.
Transparency of personnel processes and decision-making not only helps neurodivergent people succeed in the world of work, but makes organizations stronger, more ethical, and trustworthy. Research demonstrates that ethical leadership and transparency significantly impact business performance and employee well-being. Ethical leadership builds trust, reduces workplace conflicts, and enhances job satisfaction, ultimately leading to higher organizational efficiency and profitability. Studies also suggest that ethical governance practices contribute to long-term business sustainability by reducing regulatory risks and improving stakeholder relations.
Justice in Organisational Processes and Outcomes requires building systems where work, rewards, and recognition are distributed fairly. Consistent fairness increases employee confidence in leaders and in organizational integrity. In addition, when customers are treated justly, they are more likely to continue purchasing from the company.
The Use of Valid Tools for decision-making supports quality hiring and promotions, stronger teams, and organisational outcomes. Competency-based hiring and validated assessment tools reduce bias and improve candidate-job fit, leading to increased employee performance, morale, and retention. Promoting high-performing and ethical individuals into leadership positions has long-term effects on organizational ethics, reputation, and performance, while doing the opposite can be extremely destructive.
Focus on Outcomes and outcomes-based accountability supports engagement and performance better than demoralizing, invasive employee surveillance. It also allows for flexible work that supports all employees in maximizing their talents.
Flexibility helps maximize productivity by aligning individual strengths and organizational goals. It also facilitates the ultimate win-win for employees and employers while supporting neuro-inclusion and disability justice, strengthening organizational ethical standing and reputation.
Employee Participation in defining the alignment of organizational priorities with their talents, needs, and interests is the ultimate way to strengthen morale and performance. By supporting employee loyalty, it also increased the likelihood of ethical behavior.
The Continuous Building of Ethical Muscles
The relationship between neuro-inclusion and business ethics goes both ways. The ethical case for inclusion is likely to be a more effective driver of meaningful improvements than mere compliance. In the case of neuro-inclusion, it can prompt the development of neuroinclusive organizational systems. In turn, designing and implementing such systems strengthens and sustains organizational ethics, creating a virtuous cycle.
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