Survey of Workplace Ethics
Article Assignment Content Requirements:

A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Executive Summary is a synopsis of the article – no opinions
in this section. You are required to include a summary of all the key points of the article. The
length of Executive Summary will vary from article to article, but should be accomplished in
approximately 300-600 words.
B. CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS: Following your Executive Summary, please answer
the Critical Thinking Questions at the end of the article. You are required to use evidence from
the article to answer the questions. You may also include any outside sources you deem relevant
(i.e., journal articles, newspapers, magazines, or online sources). Again, be sure to use APA style
to do so. The length of critical thinking question portion will vary from article to article, but
should be accomplished in approximately 300-600 words.
C. CRITIQUE: Each Critical Thinking portion should be followed by a Critique. The Critique is
a critical analysis of the article. This is the appropriate section for your professional opinion; for
you to apply what you have learned from your management courses as well as from any
management experience you may have. In this section, you are required to include least ONE
piece of evidence from previous classes, textbooks, outside articles (scholarly or
newspaper/pop). You may also use evidence from your workplace. Again, the length will vary
from article to article, but critiques should be accomplished in approximately 600-900.

New Survey of Workplace Ethics Shows Suprising by Curtis C. Verschoor
A7‘ (1616 Prepared by: Fred H. Maidment, Western Connecticut State University
New Survey of Workplace Ethics
Shows Surprising Results
Findings from a survey of ethics in the workplace may portend a future downward shift in business ethics.
The percentage of companies with a weak ethical culture is on the rise, as is the number of employees who
experienced retaliation for blowing the whistle on observed misconduct.

CURTIS C. VERSCHOOR
Learning oUtComeS be more careful to avoid making mistakes. Consequently, only
After reading this article’ you Wm be able to: 4S% of workers report witnessing actual misconduct-an
historic, if still somewhat troubling, low. The five most fre-
Describe ethics 35 ihe)’ Currently exist in the Wo1’kP13ee- quently observed misconduct events were misuse of company
time (33%), abusive behavior (21%), company resource abuse
(20%), lying to employees (20%), and violating corporate
he ethical culture of the U.S. workplace is in transi- Internet use policies (16%).
I tion, according to the 2011 National Business Ethics The proportion of employees who observed misconduct
Survey (NBES) published by the Washington, D.C.- and then decided to report it climbed to a record high of 65%.
based Ethics Resource Center (ERC). ERC is aprivate, nonprofit The willingness of employees to say something about what
organization devoted to independent research and the advance- they saw depended significantly on the nature of the violation.
ment of high ethical standards and practices in public and pri- The highest proportion of reported violations involved steal-
vate organizations. Subtitled Workplace Ethics in Transition, ing or improper payment offers to public officials-nearly
this seventh biannual study by the ERC is based on responses 70% of workers who witnessed such actions reported the vio-
from nearly 4,700 employees at all levels working at least lations. Similarly, almost two-thirds of employees reported
20 hours per week in the for-profit sector. Responses came improper use of competitors’ inside information, the falsifica-
from interviews conducted online and over the telephone. Data tion of expense reports, trading on inside information, making
was weighted for gender. age, and education. improper political contributions, delivery of goods or services
Some of the study results are easily understandable, but that failed to meet specifications, abusivepehavior or behavior
others are unexpected and surprising. ERC calls the news both that creates a hostile work envirpnment,’ and the falsification
“very good” and “very troubling,” saying that the findings, and/or manipulation of financial reporting information.
“which are unlike any the ERC has seen in its prior surveys, On the low reporting side, only 43% of employees who wit-
indicate something is driving a shift in the American work- nessed violations of company lntemet use policies reported it,
place.” According to ERC President Patricia l-larned, “While and only half reported the inappropriate use of social network-
most U.S. workers are currently’ doing the right thing’ by fol- ing they observed.
lowing company standards and reporting wrongdoing when In tenns of where employees report observed misgonduct,
they see it, we see trouble ahead.” She adds that the 2011 supervisors remain the most likely recipient, at 56%. Company
results show “factors that historically indicate that American hotlines receive only 5% of misconduct, reports and external
business may be on the cusp of a large downward» shift in ethi- parties only 3%.
cal conduct.” Some of the actions that companies have taken toireduce the
The state of the economy has always been one of the major level of misbehavior and increase the reporting of violations
causes of workplace misbehavior-companies behave differ» include heightened efforts to raise awarenessgof ethics (42%)
ently during economic difficulties. Because of management and management watching employee actions more closely
actions, employees perceive a heightened commitment to eth- (34%). Forty-four percent of employees believe their business
ics during hard times and adopt a higher standard of behavior. is taking fewer risks, and 30% agree that the bad actors in their
Since job security is low during a downturn, employees tend to company are just lying low because of the recession.