How is it that you have no problem paying your bills on company time using company equipment, or even spending 20 minutes using the phone to place an order to your favorite catalog, but you think it’s a damn shame that the Administrative Assistant took $10.00 from petty funds to buy gas as she ran errands?  You might even support her dismissal for such brazen dishonesty. You may also rationalize that what you are doing does not directly cost your company. It isn’t? Damn skippy, you better believe it does!!! Time is money!

The question of ethics for most of us is gray rather than black and white. This is due to how we individually define values and morality and the rules may differ from culture to culture and from one period of time to the other. These standards give meaning to behaviors called ethics. Ethics tells us why we should behave in a certain manner, while values tell us how we should behave.

Organizations may try to legislate these behaviors through company policies, but we often step into the grey area consciously applying our grey matter of rationalization. For instance, ethics state you cannot give your friend or family inside information to get the upper hand in a contract or investment. But blood is thicker than water right? – And you may go right along as long as you don’t get caught. Have you ever switched tags on clothing to get your ideal outfit for the best price, or do you have a girlfriend who is known to keep the tags on a dress she plans to wear and then promptly return it? Would you classify these acts as stealing? Unethical?

The only crime for some is – getting caught. Otherwise you are OK with committing that questionable act. Wasn’t Enron the poster child of this philosophy? But practice does not become perfect and eventually we do get caught. But that’s the easy stuff. Check this out and tell me what you would do…

Alexandria’s Dilemma
By chance Alexandria found papers in the copy machine belonging to her manager. She realized the papers were invoices listed as “commissions” and “fees” totaling almost $35,000 per month. These invoices were kick backs from contracted companies, which were strictly prohibited by the company Alexandria worked for. She is now faced with the decision to report her boss, or to do nothing. Here is her dilemma…

She is an immigrant with a work-permit that allows a non-U.S. citizen with unique skills to work in the country for a period of time. If she reports hers boss and loses this job, she would have to find a new job in 30 days or leave the United States. Any company hiring such a person incurs great expenses and a barrage of paperwork for Immigration and Naturalization Service.

What the heck would you do?

Written by Dr. Carly on Friday, March 12, 2010 

Filed under Dr. Carly's Corner, Money and Business
Tagged with business, dilemma

About Dr. Carly

Dr. Carly holds a PhD in Leadership and Organization Change & Decision Sciences. Her first love is professional development and adult education, which influences her articles on workplace empowerment, personal values, and relationships.

Dr. Carly has written a total of 15 article(s) for us.