Organizations are expected to encourage ethical behavior among their employees.

Question

Organizations are expected to encourage ethical behavior among their employees. Most companies do; unfortunately, some do not. Imagine that you work as a salesperson for one of these unethical companies. Your employer not only encourages unethical behavior but he or she bases your review and compensation upon your compliance with these practices through a system commonly referred to as “rank-and-yank.”

Your manager has made it clear that neither poor performance nor questions about the company’s business practices will be tolerated. You know the manager is not bluffing; you have seen coworkers who openly disagreed with company policy be bullied and intimidated by management, or ultimately fired. You know you have to play by the company’s rules if you want to get ahead keep your job—even if that means going against what you know is right. If you are like most people, losing your job will cause a hardship. Therefore, you might be tempted to rationalize behavior you would not otherwise accept in yourself or others.

Also be sure to discuss the following points:

1)Does it matter if you are a single parent with two children in college, or a head of household who has was downsized and out of work for over a year?

2)Would it matter if these practices were being investigated for their legality?

3)Who, ultimately, holds accountability for your actions as an employee?

Explanation / Answer

1) Does it matter if you are a single parent with two children in college, or a head of household who has was downsized and out of work for over a year?

ANSWER: from a practical perspective, it matters for a single parent with two dependent college going children, or the head of household who was downsized and out of work for over a year. Circumstances, dependencies and other personal and family constraints play a great role in deciding how strongly people stick to ethical and moral standards in the face of adverse policies. But my personal experience is that ultimately ethics and principles prevail. So irrespective of the personal reasons, people should always stand up for the ideals and ethical principles they have held. The adversities are temporary, but ideals and ethics once lost become a permanent loss of character.

2) Would it matter if these practices were being investigated for their legality?

ANSWER: Yes, it does matter a lot. And it provides a lot of encouragement and strength for people to speak up against the unethical practices, if they have the knowledge that unethical practices are being investigated for their legality.

3) Who, ultimately, holds accountability for your actions as an employee?

ANSWER: According to principal-agent relationship, the employer holds the responsibility for employees’ actions taken under duress. However, individual employees are equally responsible, because they always have the right to choose between what is acceptable and what is not from legal and ethical perspective. And they should judge their actions and take decisions independent of the employer’s guidance or pressure.

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