Chapter 1.2: RIGHT. VS. WRONG-ETHICS AND MY PERFORMANCE

List some of what Causes Unethical Behavior?

1. Personal motivation to perform ("I must be No. 1 "). 2. Pressure from a supervisor to reach unrealistic performance goals along with threats for underperforming. 3. Reward systems that honor unethical behavior. 4. Employees' perception of little or no consequences for crossing an ethical line.

What are some of the things we can do to help reduce/prevent unethical behavior?What are some of the things we can do to help reduce/prevent unethical behavior?

1. Recognize that it's business and treat it that way. 2. Accept that confronting ethical concerns is part of your job. 3. Challenge the rationale. 4. Use your lack of seniority or status as an asset. 5. Consider and explain long-term consequences. 6. Suggest solutions—not just complaints.

Recognize that it's business and treat it that way.

Ethical issues are business issues, just like costs, revenues, and employee development. Collect data and present a convinc¬ ing case against the unethical conduct just as you would to develop a new product or strategy.

Challenge the rationale.

Lapses occur despite policies against them. If this is the case, then ask, "If what you did is common practice or OK, then why do we have a policy forbidding it?" Alternatively, and no matter the rationale, you can ask, "Would you be willing to explain what you did and why in a meeting with our superiors, customers, or during an interview on the evening news?"

Consider and explain long-term consequences

Many ethical issues are driven by temptations and benefits that play out in the short term. Frame and explain your views in terms of long-term consequences.

Ethical dilemmas

Situations with two choices, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable manner.

Ethics

The principal that guides our behavior by identifying right, wrong, and the many shades of gray in between.

Why Ethics Matters to Me and My Employer Criminal or not?

Unethical behavior harms not only the offending employee but also his or her coworkers and employer. Uneth¬ ical behavior by your coworkers, including company executives, can make you look bad and tarnish your career.

Suggest solutions—not just complaints.

When confronting an issue, you will likely be perceived as more helpful and be taken more seriously if you provide an alternate course or solution. Doing so will also make it more difficult for the offender to disregard your complaint.

Accept that confronting ethical concerns is part of your job.

Whether it is explicit in your job description or not, ethics is everyone's job. If you think something is questionable, act.

Use your lack of seniority or status as an asset.

While many employees rely on their junior status to avoid confronting ethical issues, being junior can instead be an advan¬ tage. It enables you to raise issues by saying, "Because I'm new, I may have misunderstood something, but it seems that what you've done may be out of bounds or could cause problems."