Ashley Madison Inspired Study Linking Infidelity and Workplace Misconduct

Earlier this month, Netflix debuted a new series documenting the business model and scandal related to the data breach of the Ashley Madison website, known for facilitating extramarital affairs. With the provocative slogan “Life is short. Have an affair,” Ashley Madison promises discretion to its users. However, a 2015 hack exposed the data of 36 million users, including one million paid accounts from the United States.

Following the breach, researchers scrutinized the rich dataset from the infamous Ashley Madison website. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin revealed a striking connection between personal infidelity and professional misconduct. The study, conducted by finance faculty members John M. Griffin and Samuel Kruger, alongside Gonzalo Maturana of Emory University, demonstrates that individuals who cheat on their spouses are significantly more likely to engage in unethical behavior at work.

Titled “Personal Infidelity and Professional Conduct in 4 Settings,” the study delved into the records of police officers, financial advisers, white-collar criminals, and senior executives who used Ashley Madison. The findings were alarming: professionals with Ashley Madison accounts were more than twice as likely to engage in corporate misconduct compared to their non-cheating counterparts.

“This is the first study that’s been able to look at whether there is a correlation between personal infidelity and professional conduct,” Kruger noted. “We find a strong correlation, which tells us that infidelity is informative about expected professional conduct.”

To ensure robustness, the study analyzed four distinct groups totaling 11,235 individuals. The data sources included the Citizens Police Data Project for police officers, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority BrokerCheck database for financial advisers, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s litigation release archives for white-collar criminals, and Execucomp for CEOs and CFOs. Even after accounting for variables such as age, gender, and professional experience, the correlation held firm: those with a history of misconduct were significantly more likely to have used Ashley Madison.

This research provides compelling evidence that personal and professional ethics are deeply intertwined. It suggests that efforts to curb sexual misconduct in the workplace could also reduce broader unethical practices.

Kruger emphasized the broader implications: “Eliminating sexual misconduct in the workplace could have the extra benefit of contributing to more ethical corporate cultures in general.”

These findings are not only a call to action for corporate governance but also highlight the importance of integrity across all facets of life. As women navigating both personal and professional realms, it's crucial to be aware of the hidden links between private behaviors and public responsibilities. Striving for ethical consistency can foster healthier relationships and more trustworthy professional environments, ultimately leading to a more just and equitable society.

For more details on the study and its implications, you can access the full research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences here.

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Yvon Lux is the editor of her Apple News channel covering lifestyle news and current events. Her “blogazine” celebrates sisterhood and empowers women by focusing on women’s health, travel, lifestyle, and entrepreneurial news while also sharing the most coveted beauty news and style stories.

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