Complicit

How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop

By: Max H. Bazerman

Narrated by: Nancy Crane

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

This audiobook narrated by Nancy Crane reveals what all of us can do to fight the pervasive human tendency to enable wrongdoing in the workplace, politics, and beyond

It is easy to condemn obvious wrongdoers such as Elizabeth Holmes, Adam Neumann, Harvey Weinstein, and the Sackler family. But we rarely think about the many people who supported their unethical or criminal behavior. In each case there was a supporting cast of complicitors: business partners, employees, investors, news organizations, and others. And, whether we’re aware of it or not, almost all of us have been complicit in the unethical behavior of others. In Complicit, Harvard Business School professor Max Bazerman confronts our complicity head-on and offers strategies for recognizing and avoiding the psychological and other traps that lead us to ignore, condone, or actively support wrongdoing in our businesses, organizations, communities, politics, and more.

Complicit tells compelling stories of those who enabled the Theranos and WeWork scandals, the opioid crisis, the sexual abuse that led to the #MeToo movement, and the January 6th U.S. Capitol attack. The book describes seven different behavioral profiles that can lead to complicity in wrongdoing, ranging from true partners to those who unknowingly benefit from systemic privilege, including white privilege, and it tells the story of Bazerman’s own brushes with complicity. Complicit also offers concrete and detailed solutions, describing how individuals, leaders, and organizations can more effectively prevent complicity.

By challenging the notion that a few bad apples are responsible for society’s ills, Complicit implicates us all—and offers a path to creating a more ethical world.

©2022 Max H. Bazerman (P)2022 Princeton University Press

Critic reviews

“Most of us feel like we’re doing the right thing (or at least not doing the wrong thing) most of the time. In Complicit, Max Bazerman argues that we are often mistaken, particularly when our actions (or inactions) enable the wrongdoing of others. I’m convinced. Required reading for anyone who wants to improve the world and themselves.”—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

“In this important and insightful book, Max Bazerman explains the reality behind wrongdoing and how to stop it.”—Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now and Rationality

“Complicity is one of the most important ethical issues of our time—yet one of the least explored. Max Bazerman’s careful, humane analysis, filled with terrific stories, data, and concrete lessons, is an invaluable contribution to a better world.”—Cass R. Sunstein, author of Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It

Excellent examination of the challenge of complicity with compelling case examinations and real world reflections

Complicit to is engaging and thought provoking. Wide ranging in its case histories, I found the book gave me a lot to reflect on in my own work and personal life. You realize how present “complicity” can be in the choices we make as we navigate our relationships and think in new ways about our responsibilities.

A Waste of Time

A long winded lecture littered with amusing anecdotes about complicity and the author's classification of different degrees of complicity. It's a boring slog to get through and the only saving grace are that some of the stories the author shares about big name companies are somewhat interesting. If I hadn't needed to read this for a class I'd have put the book down after the first 3 chapters. Nothing novel or interesting here. Save yourself 7 hours and read/listen to something else.