Where are Our ‘Ethical’ Leaders? One characteristic of ethical leadership is to influence others. Management expert John Maxwell characterizes leadership this way: “A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” The ethical leader understands that positive relationships built on respect, openness, and trust are critical to creating an ethical organizational environment. […]
Leadership & Ethics Go Hand in Hand Read More »
KPMG-PCAOB Scandal Raises Questions About Oversight of the Accounting Profession In an unprecedented event, on January 22, 2018, it was announced that a former Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) staffer, Brian Sweet, who was hired by KPMG in 2015, leaked confidential information about PCAOB’s plans to audit the company. Most of the leaked information
KPMG Compromises Integrity by “Stealing” PCAOB Inspection Information Read More »
Medical Ethics and End-of-Life Decisions Morality depends on the cognitive dimension of our behavior or our thought processes – the way we conceptualize right or wrong and make decisions and reason about how we should behave. Moral issues concern both behavior and conduct. They arise when people are faced with such questions as: “What should
What are the Moral Considerations in Physician-Assisted Death Read More »
Do all Religions and Cultures Believe in the Same Set of Values? The existence of a common set of values across religions would go far to explain why different cultures and societies believe that the Golden Rule is the basic standard of behavior. Rushworth Kidder, the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics, wrote a
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The Pathway to Principle-Based Decision Making I recently wrote a blog on my Workplace Ethics Advice site on Principle Centered Leadership. Basic principles of ethics can help us lead a more fulfilling life whether on a personal or professional level. However, our commitment to act in accordance with ethical principles is often challenged because of pressures
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Strengthening Intuitive-Based Decision Making When faced with an ethical dilemma, how do you respond? Many people simply rely on common sense to reason through the conflict and decide on an appropriate course of action. Many common things are not easy to do and may require effort and skills. This is where ethical reasoning methods come
Common Sense Ethics Read More »
Doing Good by Being a Good Person What makes one person speak out and blow the whistle on wrongdoing while another remains silent? Is it a “moral sense,” as Thomas Jefferson wrote, that instinctively motivates a person’s thoughts and actions? Is it motivated by avoiding harm to others? The other day, a reader sent in
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Cost-Benefit Analysis Can’t Hide Unethical Behavior by Car Companies Finally, an agreement with German car maker Volkswagen AG. On June 28, the automaker agreed to spend up to $14.7 billion to resolve federal and state civil allegations of cheating on emissions tests and lying to customers. The company has admitted that it rigged diesel vehicles
Corporate Irresponsibility: VW Settlement Underlies Ethical Problems Read More »
The Ethical Link Between Our Beliefs and Our Actions A highly ethical person knows his or her values, principles, and beliefs. Those values, principles, and beliefs would then determine one’s actions when faced with an ethical dilemma. A person who does not understand or fully know his or her values, principles, and beliefs might act
Cognitive Dissonance and Ethical Decision-Making Read More »
Virtues Underlie Workplace Behavior Writer Robert McKee famously said, “True character is revealed in the choices a human makes under pressure — the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.” This is a profound statement that I use to teach ethics to my accounting students, many
Character and Trust Are the Keys to Ethical Decision-Making Read More »