Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Second Edition

ROOTS OF UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

People often wonder why employees indulge in unethical practices such as lying, bribery, coercion, conflicting interest, etc. There are certain factors that make the employees think and act in unethical ways. Some of the influencing factors are ‘pressure to balance work and family, poor communications, poor leadership, long work hours, heavy work load, lack of management support, pressure to meet sales or profit goals, little or no recognition of achievements, company politics, personal financial worries, and insufficient resources’.¹⁶ The statistical data given by Ethics Officers Associationin 1997 show how certain practices or factors contribute to unethical behaviour.¹⁷

 

Balancing work and family	52%