Executive Summary
Organisations and societies grapple with more than external threats or operational risks in today’s rapidly evolving socio-economic landscape. Beneath the surface lies a quiet but powerful disruptor, “Sojunuism”, the deliberate act of looking away when a situation demands acknowledgement or action. If left unchecked, this cultural and organisational undercurrent corrodes ethics, weakens performance, and breeds a pervasive apathy that can dismantle an organisation from within. Originating from Nigerian street parlance and put forward by the author of this article, the term encapsulates the willful act of ignoring wrongdoing to preserve personal comfort at the expense of conscience.
This article explores the origin, context, and multi-layered implications of Sojunuism within organisations and the wider society. It analyses the phenomenon at the individual, organisational, and societal levels, revealing how it stunts ethical growth, destroys trust, and normalises mediocrity. We argue that in an era where transparency and accountability are paramount, allowing Sojunuism to thrive is a critical failure of leadership and culture. This analysis culminates in a compelling call for action, providing actionable recommendations for leaders, organisations, and institutions. Only through courageous leadership, the cultivation of ethical cultures, and the establishment of systemic accountability can we hope to dismantle this pervasive and dangerous behaviour.
Introduction
We have names for the overt challenges plaguing our institutions, including corruption, incompetence, and poor leadership, which are frequently cited. However, a more subtle and insidious force is often at play: “the deliberate choice to look away without taking proper action when it truly matters”. This is Sojunuism, a term that captures the reality of willfully ignoring wrongdoing, silencing truth, and prioritising comfort over conscience. It is the bystander who witnesses harassment but says nothing, the manager who sees fraud but avoids the ensuing conflict, the team member who knows a project is failing but remains silent for fear of exclusion.
Research on the bystander effect demonstrates that individuals are significantly less likely to intervene or speak up in group settings. For example, studies show that intervention rates can drop by nearly 40% when people are in groups, a dynamic that translates directly to organisational silence and inaction.
This article is for leaders and decision-makers across federal, state, and local governments, parastatals, and the organised private sector who desire to cultivate a healthy and ethical environment for their workforce and stakeholders. It is also for every individual committed to personal growth and positive change. In a world where Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics, transparency, and whistleblowing are becoming headline indicators of success, Sojunuism hides in plain sight. It festers in boardrooms, on university campuses, within governments, and even within families. The stark reality is that organisations often crumble not from high-impact external attacks but from silence’s slow, internal cultural rot. This article seeks to name, understand, and provide a framework for dismantling this dangerous undercurrent because what we can name, we can tame.
Sojunuism as a Societal and Corporate Reality
From the bustling streets of Lagos to the sterile boardrooms of global institutions, Sojunuism manifests as a conscious choice to disengage, defer, and detach. While not new, it is a behavioural pattern that has gained significant relevance in an era of information overload and heightened awareness of social and ethical duties. This phenomenon is not an isolated personal failing but is often enabled and perpetuated by specific cultural and structural factors:
- Fear of Confrontation or Retaliation: Individuals often remain silent to avoid personal or professional backlash, a fear that is frequently justified in punitive environments.
- Over-reliance on Hierarchy: In many organisational cultures, especially those with a high-power band, challenging superiors or the status quo is branded as insubordination rather than constructive feedback.
- Comfort with the Status Quo: A “go-along-to-get-along” mentality often leads to the normalisation of mediocrity and ethical decay, as confronting issues is seen as disruptive.
- Absence of Safe Reporting Systems: Without clear, confidential, and protected channels for raising concerns, employees can choose between their conscience and their career. Data from whistleblower retaliation cases reveal that more than 90% of those who faced retaliation had reported issues internally, underscoring the lack of safe and effective reporting channels in many organisations. This climate of fear discourages ethical action and drives away top talent.
Broader societal dynamics further shape these factors. For instance, societies prioritising collectivism may view Sojunuism as a collective failure, while highly individualistic cultures might tolerate it if it serves personal self-interest. Over time, this behaviour becomes a default mode of survival, often rewarded with promotions and reinforced by peer pressure, embedding it deep within an organisation’s cultural fabric.
The Three Faces of Sojunuism
Sojunuism operates on multiple interconnected levels, each with distinct and damaging consequences. Understanding these “three faces” is crucial to developing a comprehensive response.
1. Sojunuism at the Individual Level
At the individual level, Sojunuism is often born from a combination of fear, moral fatigue, or a perceived sense of helplessness. This choice to look away has profound psychological and professional impacts.
- Psychological Impact: While avoidance may offer temporary relief, it often leads to long-term stress, guilt, and cognitive dissonance, the internal conflict that arises from knowing the right thing to do but choosing inaction. This can manifest as anxiety, depression, and an erosion of self-worth, as individuals begin to see themselves as cowardly or unethical.
- Professional and Ethical Stagnation: Engaging in Sojunuism stunts ethical decision-making and denies individuals opportunities for personal and professional growth. By habitually ignoring difficult situations, an individual’s moral compass can become skewed, impairing their ability to make sound ethical judgments in the future. By avoiding difficult situations, individuals miss the chance to develop resilience, empathy, and leadership skills, ultimately limiting their career potential.
2. Sojunuism Within Organisations
When Sojunuism becomes embedded in an organisation, it systematically destroys the foundations of a healthy workplace.
- Erosion of Trust and Transparency: This behaviour is a direct assault on trust, transparency, and innovation. When misconduct, performance issues, or strategic misalignments are willfully ignored, the organisation loses its soul. A toxic culture emerges where silence is institutionalised and mediocrity is tolerated. Empirical studies confirm that organisational silence leads to decreased morale, increased stress, and a lack of trust in leadership. This not only diminishes workplace satisfaction and productivity but also enables destructive leadership, undermining the organisation’s objectives and the well-being of its members.
- Decreased Morale and Productivity: Witnessing or experiencing Sojunuism leads to a significant decline in employee morale and engagement. When employees feel their concerns are dismissed or that unethical behaviour goes unchecked, their commitment to their work wanes, directly impacting productivity. This environment also fuels unresolved conflicts, hindering teamwork and collaboration. Beyond cultural decay, the financial and reputational costs of Sojunuism are substantial. Organisations that fail to address internal issues risk costly lawsuits, high employee turnover, and lasting damage to their public image.
- Failure in Talent Management: A workplace rife with Sojunuism will struggle to retain its best people. Talented individuals often choose to leave rather than tolerate a culture of indifference, leading to high turnover rates and increased recruitment costs. Furthermore, in an age of transparency, such a reputation makes it difficult to attract top talent, who increasingly prioritise ethical and positive work environments.
3. Sojunuism as a Cultural and Societal Norm
When an entire society elevates hierarchy over justice and discourages truth-telling, Sojunuism becomes a pervasive norm.
- Systemic Rot and Injustice: In such a context, whistleblowers are often punished, and those who look away are rewarded, reinforcing systemic decay. This dynamic perpetuates injustice, as marginalised groups are disproportionately affected by the collective failure to act. It reinforces skewed power dynamics where those in authority can act with impunity.
- Normalisation of Apathy: Over time, apathy replaces empathy, and structural violence or systemic corruption becomes normalised. The societal expectation shifts from “do the right thing” to “don’t rock the boat,” creating a feedback loop that makes achieving positive change increasingly difficult.
Recommendations: A Multi-Level Response to Sojunuism
Combating Sojunuism requires a deliberate and sustained effort across all levels of an organisation and society. Research supports the effectiveness of anonymous reporting systems and leadership that models ethical courage. These measures are essential for breaking the cycle of silence and building resilient, transparent organisations.
For Leaders and Executives
- Model Courageous Leadership: Leaders must set the tone. When publicly confronting wrongdoing and speaking up early about ethical grey areas, they demonstrate that accountability is a non-negotiable value. This involves leading by example and being the first to challenge comfortable silence.
- Reward Ethical Courage: Recognition and rewards should not be reserved solely for high performers. Organisations must create mechanisms to acknowledge and celebrate employees who demonstrate ethical courage in difficult situations, reinforcing the desired behaviour.
For Organisations
- Codify and Embed Anti-Sojunuism: Organisations should codify anti-Sojunuism behaviours into their core values, policies, and daily rituals. Make “speak up” and “listen up” core competencies.
- Establish Safe and Anonymous Channels: Implement robust, anonymous speak-up channels that are supported by real-time protection mechanisms for whistleblowers. It is critical to implement measures that protect whistleblowers from retaliation to foster a culture of transparency. Research supports the effectiveness of anonymous reporting systems and leadership that models ethical courage. These measures are essential for breaking the cycle of silence and building resilient, transparent organisations.
- Invest in Training: Conduct practical ethics and bystander intervention training. Many employees are willing to act but lack the skills or confidence to do so effectively. This training equips them with the tools needed to move from passive observer to ethical actor.
- Audit the Culture: Go beyond auditing systems and financials; audit the culture. Ask the tough questions. What behaviours do we truly reward? What brutal truths do we collectively walk past every day? This cultural diagnosis is the first step toward a cure.
- Provide Support Services: Offer support such as counselling, mediation, or legal assistance for employees affected by incidents of Sojunuism or other unethical behaviour.
For Society and Institutions
- Launch Awareness Campaigns: Drive national and corporate campaigns centred on the message that “Silence is not Neutrality”. Shifting societal norms requires a concerted effort to change the narrative around speaking up.
- Strengthen Whistleblower Protection: Advocate for and strengthen whistleblower protection laws, and ensure they are enforced with visible consequences for those who retaliate.
- Embed Ethics in Education: Integrate ethical reasoning, empathy, and social responsibility into school curricula and leadership development programs to cultivate a new generation of leaders who are unwilling to look away.
- Advocate for Systemic Change: Addressing Sojunuism ultimately requires tackling its root causes, such as systemic poverty, discrimination, and structural violence.
Conclusion: From Insight to Action
Sojunuism is not just a personal flaw but a systemic virus that infects our ethics, institutions, and collective future. It thrives in environments where silence is mistaken for wisdom and apathy is easier than accountability. Ignoring this phenomenon is an act of complicity that allows cultural decay to fester.
However, there is a clear path forward. By naming this behaviour, we strip it of its power to hide in the shadows. By understanding its mechanisms, we can teach against it. But to truly dismantle the systems that enable it, we must move from insight to intentional action. This is where organisations must partner with experts to build resilient cultures where speaking up is a sign of strength, not sabotage.
At Phillips Consulting (pcl.), we believe that organisations flourish not through strategy alone, but through unwavering integrity. We not only identify problems like Sojunuism, but also provide integrated solutions to address them. Our People Transformation practice addresses this challenge at its core, driving culture transformation and harmonisation, strengthening leadership through development and board assessment, embedding organisation design alongside ethics and compliance, and enabling change management with meaningful employee engagement.
When we choose to no longer look away, we begin to truly see, and in that seeing, backed by strategic and deliberate action, we ignite transformation.
Written by:
Ademola Adedipe
P.T
Endnote: The concept of Sojunuism is from the author and extends from his published book of 2024.