Got Ethics?
Lauren Moulton-Beaudry, Ed.D
Front Porch Ethics and Education
Look at our next hour…
It’s all about perspective…
3 Simple Premises
1.
Good ethics is good business/Bad ethics is
bad business.
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2.
3.
Fairness, honesty, Integrity and respect are
widely held workplace values
Unethical behavior appears to be on the rise.
Creating effective guidelines for ethical
decision-making is difficult, but imperative.
How do we make ethics practical?
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How do we promote a business culture
where acting ethically is the expected norm?
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How do we get the organizational values
integrated throughout our organizations?
The Charge…
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To keep the ethics chatter going
Champion the core values of the company
Support communities through education and
training
Guide and support employees in making
ethical decisions
To keep questioning
Discussion Starters –
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YOU NEVER KNOW!
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Candy Dish Ripple Effect
YOU NEVER KNOW…
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Why do you think people make this kind of
bad decision?
How do you think people become good at
and comfortable with lying. What are their
motives?
What do you think could prevent such
behavior or a least make it less frequent?
Values guide behaviors…
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Do you know what your core values are?
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What drives your behaviors?
The Ripple Effect… Candy Dish
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What was his primary assumption?
Why do you think he emptied the chocolate
bowl into his briefcase?
He then took the silver tray. Has a line been
crossed? Why did he do this?
Do you think that if he had considered the
Ripple Effect, he might have made different
choices?
Questions to consider…
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Do we have the facts straight, e.g., is this action/policy
effective in achieving its goal?
Are burdens and benefits distributed fairly?
Is this the least intrusion on rights, ethical principles,
etc., necessary to achieve goals?
Could this action/policy lead to further harms, in this or
other areas?
Would I support this action/policy if I or my loved ones
were likely to be affected by it?
Would I support this action/policy if it were going to be
the headlines of tomorrow’s newspaper?
In other words…
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Is the action legal?
Does it comply with your best understanding
of our values and principles?
If you do it, will you feel bad?
How will it look in the newspaper?
If you know it’s wrong, don’t do it, period!
If you’re not sure, ask!
Keep asking until you get an answer!
Living On the Ethical Edge
References – Tools -- Resources
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Compliance is just the Beginning – 3 steps to Ethical Decisions
–Quality Media Resources, Inc. QMR.com – 800-800-5129
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Russell Williams - www.ethicaledge.org
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Managing Business Ethics – Linda K.Trevino, Katherine A.
Nelson (2007) John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
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Lauren Moulton-Beaudry – Front Porch –
LMoulton-Beaudry@frontporch.net