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Business Ethics: Oxymoron?
What a tangled web we weave
Business schools teach ethics and companies have developed and instituted policies aimed at fostering an ethical workplace. If these efforts are more than lip service, why is unethical behavior and corporate corruption so prevalent?
Corporate corruption is widespread. Unethical behavior permeates organizations. It rarely is organized from the top however.
Granted, some leaders are crooks and some managers become involved in institutionalized breaking of rules and ethical standards in order to meet targets and goals. KPIs are gamed because that is what is incentivized.
But the intention of the majority of managers and leaders is to run ethical organizations.
Usually employees end up bending or breaking ethics rules for personal gain and because those in charge unknowingly encourage it.
These behaviors are the unintended consequences of setting aggressive targets and goals without addressing and implementing guardrails and rules of the game. You need to frame the…
