Record: 1

Title:
Workplace Ethics: The High Cost of Compromise.
Authors:
Hanson, Kirk O.
Source:
BusinessWeek.com; 6/4/2010, p6-6, 1p
Document Type:
Opinion
Subject Terms:
*COLLEGE graduates,
*WORK ethic,
*EDUCATION -- Curricula,
*CORPORATE culture,
*PROFESSIONAL ethics,
EMPLOYMENT
Abstract:
The article presents the author's views on the need to prepare fresh graduates to face
ethical issues at the workplace. The author mentions that due to scarcity of jobs,
graduates find it difficult to stand up against unethical behavior at workplace as they do
not want to risk losing their jobs. The author further mentions that courses on corporate
ethics must be included in the college curriculum in order to prepare students for
corporate life.
Full Text Word Count:
954
Accession Number:
51334914
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Database:
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Full Text Database:
Section: B-Schools
VIEWPOINT

Workplace Ethics: The High Cost of

Compromise
New college grads trying to fit in at their first jobs may confront ethical dilemmas.
Compromises, while tempting, can be costly
This year's college graduates enter a job market nearly as challenging as the one confronted by
last June's class, and scarce jobs make ethical decisions even tougher. How will the latest crop of
corporate recruits respond when the boss suggests that they manipulate sales numbers, when they
encounter a racially biased work environment, or when they are instructed to lie to cover up a
mistake?
New employees inevitably face ethical challenges. In fact, I find most graduates are quick to
share stories about the first time they were asked to do something unethical even in the most
ethical companies. The boss may ask them to fudge a number on a report, or check a box and say
a test was done when it was not. The new sales employee may be told we "always" exaggerate
the capabilities of our product, or that it is normal to disguise alcoholic drinks and personal
entertainment on expense reports so the company pays for them.
Because it has been difficult this year to land any job, new graduates will be less likely to resist,
less likely to put their new position at risk in order to do the right thing. And that threatens to
undermine the ethical character of this year's graduates at the outset of their careers.
When Behavior is Bullying
One ethical dilemma faced by virtually every employee in his or her first months on the job is
how to react to the workplace bully or the "belittling boss." There are people in even the best
organizations that put down or pick on others. The bully's target may be the woman in a maledominated team; the department's first African American; the Hispanic singled out as an
"illegal." Some bullying bosses are equal-opportunity harassers. We try to help new employees
stand up to such bullying behavior and "stand with" the person being harassed or bullied. But
new employees fearful for their jobs will more often stay silent and go along with the jokes at the
expense of others. What long-term impact does this have on the recruit's willingness to tolerate
intolerance?
In college ethics courses, we try to prepare our graduates for these unavoidable "moments of
truth" by reminding them that it takes courage to act ethically. Those of us with experience in
business tell students they might receive kudos and a pat on the back for behaving ethically, but
acting ethically can also lead to ostracism or even getting fired for not being a team player. To
resist "going along" in a time of recession takes an extra dose of courage. We hope this year's
graduates get the message that compromising values now only makes it easier to compromise
them later. And long term, a weak ethical character may be the greatest career risk of all.

Ethical dilemmas can also be more personal. Do I want to be a hedge fund mogul, a benevolent
community banker, an inner-city teacher, a nurse, a soldier defending my country? Do I want to
make a lot of money, or am I satisfied with a little? Is helping people an essential part of my life's
work? In a recession, the desperate state of many service organizations or a graduate's need to
pay back loans may close off some or all of his or her true vocational choices. Graduates are glad
to get any job, and there is a real danger they may give up hope of ever finding work they find
meaningful.
Ethical Dilemmas Are Unavoidable
Similarly, how do they balance work with life outside of work? Will they scrimp on family
obligations while pursuing job success? Will they find any time at all for service in their work
lives? Some graduates will conclude they have to work all the time to be sure they keep their
jobs. In many organizations, we find that bosses load work on new employees until they object.
In a recession, fewer new graduates will push back. Family life, artistic expression, and service
may be squeezed out of their lives now and long after the recession ends.
Graduates, in a recessionary economy or not, must understand that ethical dilemmas and choices
are an unavoidable part of one's work life. We urge students to investigate the culture of the
company and the specific work group they may join. Their chances of living a life of integrity
are greater in a business that genuinely strives to act ethically. But even in those that have good
corporate cultures, ethical tests are rampant, particularly for the newly hired graduate.
The bullying boss or the request to fudge a test should lead the recruit to seek a better
understanding of what is being asked and other opinions on whether this is indeed "how we do
things around here." Maybe this is just how this rogue employee or manager does it. If the new
employee is not convinced the request is reasonable and ethical, he or she needs to raise the issue
with someone else until the new employee becomes convinced it is legitimate, provokes the
companty to intervene, or decides he joined a company with a weak ethical culture.
Recession or not, the unavoidable ethical dilemmas in any business career give our graduates
ample and early opportunities to decide whether they will lead business careers of expediency or
integrity. We hope we can convince them they serve the true interests of their companies, of
society, and of themselves by confronting these ethical dilemmas directly and with exceptional
courage.
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2010 /bs2010063_959739.htm
~~~~~~~~
By Kirk O. Hanson