Obviously, they were more scared of losing their jobs than their licenses to practice law. So they caved in to the pressure to "do the wrong thing." But were there no other alternatives available to them?
Others have found strength and courage by banding together. When a high-ranking human resources executive ordered his benefits and compensation staff to "fudge their numbers" for the year-end audit, they collectively marched into his boss's office to register a protest. This team power play effectively put an end to his unethical demands.
Sadly, not every ethical professional can find power in numbers. A quality-control inspector for an outdoor-equipment manufacturer in California was upset by the lax standards her colleagues and supervisor were exhibiting toward certain products. This placed her in a practical and ethical quandary. She was uncomfortable with what she saw happening around her. Yet if she went over her co-workers' heads and complained, she feared reprisals. And since her supervisor was one of the offending parties, she felt it would be futile to register a com plaint with him.
Finally, she decided to rely on her sense of what's right to do, as well as her firsthand impression of the CEO as a fair-minded and responsive leader. Her instincts were good. The CEO took her complaint seriously and, without revealing the source of his information or jeopardizing her position, investigated and rectified the problem.
Doing an end run around the person you directly report to isn't always advisable. Before attempting it, you should evaluate your boss's boss realistically. If it seems unlikely that the executive will handle the problem discreetly, you may want to look for another, more direct solution.
An administrative assistant knew a member of her department was fudging expense reports, and it made her uncomfortable. Rather than ignore (and process) those reports, she pointed out to him that she thought he'd "inadvertently" made a mistake on his report. The word inadvertently was carefully chosen. It was her way of giving him the benefit of the doubt, as well as a way to correct the problem without having to admit that he'd been dishonest. It also sent a message that someone was watching. This encouraged him to keep more accurate expense reports in the future.
WHAT'S YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
Thought-Starter Worksheet
- How ethical is the organization you work for?
- Where are they most likely to cut corners?
- Do you generally agree with their values and priorities?
- Have you ever been asked to do something that you felt was unethical? How did you respond?
- Were you satisfied with the way you handled the situation?
- Is there anything you should have done differently?
- Have you ever ignored unethical behavior? Was it because you didn't want to get involved? Hate confrontation? Feared reprisal?
- Do you believe that a certain amount of lying and cheating is normal and acceptable business practice?
- If you insisted on more honest and ethical business practices, would it jeopardize your career mobility?
- Would more ethical businesses practices interfere with your organization's ability to compete?
- Do you believe that the financial bottom line is the most important consideration in any business?
- Would you personally break the law to protect the bottom line?
- Would you treat people unfairly to improve the bottom line?
- Would you skimp on customer service to help your company's financial status?
- Would you describe yourself as an ethical person?
- Do your responses to questions 9 through 14 support your beliefs?
- When you have an ethical conflict, whom are you most likely to consult?
- How would you describe that person's character?
- If you believe your organization suffers from bad business ethics, is there anything you can do to improve those practices?
- Have you ever participated in an ethics training program?
