Professor Francesca Gino of Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business has some interesting research about people's "ability to observe and identify ethical misconduct that occurred either gradually or abruptly" and the implication for leaders' attempts to instill ethical values in the workplace.
“We find that most individuals are more apt to engage in unethical behavior when it falls along the slippery slope, because they aren’t aware that it’s happening,” Gino said. She noted that, in many ways, it’s similar to the “boiling frog syndrome,” referring to the adage that frogs immediately hop out of boiling water, but when put in unheated water fail to notice a gradually rising temperature and eventually cook to death.
According to Gino, members of an organization may eventually realize that something is wrong, but by then may believe they have a conflict of interest for failing to report the misconduct and thus ignore the unethical conduct and contribute to it becoming ingrained in the culture. “Once the ethical line has been crossed, an institutionalization of corruption can occur in which unethical acts become a common part of daily activities and people often have a vested interest in remaining quiet,” she said.
His recommendations?
According to Gino, the best way for companies to combat unintentional tendencies that may represent unethical behavior is to focus on changing the organizational factors that make these types of gradual breakdowns possible, rather than attempting to change individual employee behavior. Within an organization, the human resources department is best suited to spearhead efforts at such reform, she says.
But, first and foremost, says Gino, “Companies must more clearly and consistently communicate ethical standards to employees and strive to create a culture in which there’s a commitment to doing the right thing and in which people are encouraged to speak up.”
And to jump up too before they find themselves in hot water.
See/Hear also: Podcast with Dr. Francesca discussing these research results: Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: Tepper School of Business Study Shows Unethical Conduct Often Inadvertently Overlooked
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