This teaching dark case study employs a critical management lens to examine the experience of workers within organizations embroiled in corruption scandals. Drawing upon the concepts of the Continuum of Destructiveness and the Rationalization of Corruption, it delves into the case of the Odebrecht scandal. The Teaching Dark Case investigates how workers grapple with the revelation of unethical corporate practices within their day-to-day work lives. It offers a valuable teaching tool, encouraging Management students (undergraduate and graduate levels) to critically analyze the dissonance between organizational values and personal ethical frameworks. This case fosters critical discussions and learning that move beyond traditional managerial perspectives, highlighting the complexities and challenges associated with organizational corruption. We present Odebrecht’s corruption scheme using the Car Wash Operation as example and then propose teaching notes as an exercise to help students critically analyze organizational corruption and ethical dilemmas that employees face in their practices.
