Executive Summary: Authority's power and its applications

Can authority make good people act against their values? Stanley Milgram’s 1963 obedience experiments at Yale University answered this, showing that 65% of participants delivered potentially lethal shocks under orders, inspired by Holocaust lessons. His findings on obedience to authority reshaped social psychology, revealing how situational forces in behavior drive compliance. Intended to prevent authoritarian atrocities, Milgram’s insights are now used by governments, businesses, and advocacy groups, raising ethical concerns. For business professionals, these lessons are vital: marketing leverages authority, like doctors in pharmaceutical ads, to build trust, risking over-prescribing. Workplace hierarchies, as in the Wells Fargo scandal, exploit Milgram’s “agentic state,” pressuring employees to prioritize profit over ethics. Climate change campaigns, like Fridays for Future, use Nazi-like propaganda tactics to demand compliance, stifling debate (Delingpole, 2019). Governments, businesses, and advocacy groups collaborated on COVID-era social distancing, masking, and vaccination protocols, often bypassing public debate (Happer & Lindzen, 2023). Burger’s 2009 replication confirms obedience’s persistence. Milgram’s legacy urges leaders to foster critical thinking and autonomy, ensuring authority serves ethical goals. Business professionals must apply these insights responsibly, balancing compliance with integrity to navigate modern challenges.