Protecting one’s frame of mind as it pertains to unethical behavior and job security, now exist in the past while major organizations and firms are maximizing their efforts to restore employees and consumers confidence and trust, by implementing a fresh clean slate integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Rodrigues (2006) ethical analysis on corporate social responsibility highlights the ethical and moral issues on decision-making and behaviour (Rodrigues, 2006).

In retrospect, ERON executives, one of the largest corporate organizations fell without mercy in December 2001 leaving no financial return for their long-standing employees. Enron employees blanketed their trust in an organization expecting to live comfortably throughout with their retired savings, 401(k) investments. Yet, they were ousted unexpectedly, just as their leaders. Baucus & Baucus (1997) states “”illegality takes money from strategic investments, hurts a firm’s image with its stakeholders…”" (Elkins, 1976). According to CBC News (2007), A British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) panel reports Eron executives relegated a carefully planned “”massive fraud”" on British Columbia residents (see it here). These facts substantiated that Eron Mortgage Corporation, Eron Investment Corporation, Capital Productions Incorporation, and Eron Financial Service Ltd. raised $240 million from investors by lying to them.

According to Rodrigues (2006) the mainstream of corporate social responsibility is to contend with intricate issues, such as environmental protection, human resources management, health and safety at work, relations with local communities, and relations with suppliers and consumers (Rodrigues, 2006). The assumption of CSR is that organizations can be trusted to address, on their own, any problems their operations may cause, without being bound by laws and regulations (Rodrigues, 2006).

References:

AmeriPlan Health (2007). click here.

Baucus, M.S. & Baucus, D.A. (1997). Paying the piper: An empirical examination of longer-term financial consequences of illegal corporate behavior. Academy of Management Journal. Briarcliff Manor: 40(1), 129,23. Retrieved October 16, 2007, capella.edu.

Brooks, D.A., & King, C.L. (2007). Civil service reform as national security: The homeland security act of 2002. Public Administration Review, 67(3), 399-407. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Eron Mortgage Executives. (2000). Retrieved October 16, 2006, from this website.
.

Rodrigues, M.C. (2006). Corporate social responsibility and resource-based perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics. Dordrecht: 69(2), 111. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Judith is pursuing her doctoral degree in Management of Nonprofit Organizations while attending Capella University. She has received her MA in Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. Judith is a single-divorced parent of three teenagers, and is self-employed as a Consultant.

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Tags: unethical, behaviour, workplace, examples, legal

Blockbuster Online decided to alter and modify my existing movie rental contract, which initially allowed me unlimited rentals and exchanges at the store for a fixed price. On October 17, when I walked into the store to exchange a video the store rep told me I had met my limit for monthly exchanges and would have to pay over $2.00 per movie on any additional exchanges. The manager came out and agreed it was bogus and fraudulent, but said he couldn’t change it.

Upon looking at Blockbuster Online they have since phased out unlimited rentals altogether on their website, but such was in operation when I was sold the contract by the Blockbuster representative.

I phoned the competition at Netflix who told me they only lowered their prices, unlike Blockbuster who has since significantly raised their prices. The idea according to my research is for Blockbuster to put the competition out of business for a short while by their online services, than alter their contracts after the competition has been eliminated – kind of like an anti-trust price gouging operation.

The Netflix website contract for similar services, which verbally the rep on the phone said there would not be any price increases……says otherwise. Read the fine print online and you will see a contractual stipulation stating “changes to terms of use.”

Changes to Terms of Use
Netflix, Inc., reserves the right, from time to time, with or without notice to you, to change these Terms of Use in our sole and absolute discretion. The most current version of these Terms of Use can be reviewed by clicking on the “”Terms of Use”" located at the bottom of the pages of the Netflix Web site. The most current version of the Terms of Use will supersede all previous versions. Your use of the Netflix Web site or continued use of our service after changes are made means that you agree to be bound by such changes.

This is the new corporation nation which cares not for consumers but financially raping and taking advantage of us. I say let’s protest!

Write your Better Business Bureau and Congress representatives and cite these unethical billing practices and procedures. What we tolerate will dominate. Close the floodgates before capitalism overtakes we the people and honesty and integrity entirely leaves the marketplace.

Email Paul with your complaint and name.

Paul Davis is a highly sought after professional speaker, life purpose coach, worldwide minister, and change master.

Paul is the author of several books including United States of Arrogance, Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul’s organization Dream-Maker Ministries builds dreams, breaks limitations & revives nations.

As a passionate and fervent activist, Paul wants to see justice come to every disenfranchised person abused by the corporate profit driven system. A documentary filmmaker, Paul would like to hear from you.

Hire Paul to do a “It’s Judgment Day” expose for you!

Visit him here.

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Tags: business, ethics, contracts, unethical, behaviour

- Indira Gandhi

The most significant gesture in business and in life is a handshake. In many cultures it is the unspoken message that accompanies our words. A handshake often takes place when you meet someone new, when you are greeting someone you haven’t seen in a while, when you leave a party or meeting, when you offer congratulations or when you agree on a contract or working arrangement.

Historians agree that the handshake was most likely developed several hundred years ago in England as a method to communicate that you were empty-handed and unarmed during a meeting. Weapons were often concealed in the left sleeve so shaking was done with the left hand. As more people began to travel without weapons it became common to shake with the right hand. Certain historical figures took liberty with shaking hands and created their own custom. George Washington decided that shaking hands was for the common people so he bowed when greeting people in public.

The intent in shaking hands is to make contact “”web-to-web”" with the other person’s hand. The web of your hand is that part between your thumb and forefinger. Extend your hand with your fingers together, in a vertical position, with the thumb up and slightly to the side. Once you make contact with the web of the other person’s hand, close your thumb over the back of the hand and give a slight squeeze with your fingertips. Here’s where so many people go wrong. Some move in for the kill and give a bone-crushing handshake that brings tears to the eyes of the other person. Then there are those who stop at the first hint of contact and never add the little squeeze that indicates there is life and energy in the body. The result is the “”wimpy”" or “”limp”" handshake, sometimes referred to as the “”dead fish.”"

Every country in the world has its own customs for meeting and greeting. Most cultures encourage handshaking more often than the United States. As always, you need to do your research on meeting and greeting before you embark on an overseas trip. If you are a woman, this is critically important since certain cultures do not allow women to touch a man who is not related to them.

Here are some of the most common handshaking rituals around the world:

* In Japan it is normal to shake hands frequently. Sometimes a bow is included or substituted.

* In Europe you shake hands whenever you meet someone even if you know them well.

* Russians tend to shake hands frequently but never while wearing gloves.

* A strong handshake and good grip are appreciated in South Africa.

* A vigorous, pumping handshake is normal for the Chinese.

* Men in Arabian cultures encourage a long and limp handshake along with a specific verbal greeting.

* People in Panama greet each other with eye contact combined with shaking hands.

* The French always shake hands in business meetings but all other greetings involve kissing the cheeks.

* In Kuwait shaking hands is only used for male strangers who meet the first time. Shaking hands with an unrelated female is considered inappropriate.

* Residents of Indian and Pakistan shake hands by grasping your hand in both of their hands and holding your hand briefly.

It is considered impolite to refuse to shake hands but be prepared in case you meet someone who says “”No”" to handshakes because of arthritis, joint problems or a communicable illness such as a cold. The person who is unable to shake hands should always offer an apology and a brief explanation so that the other person does not feel shunned.

You may occasionally encounter someone who does not respond in any way to your outstretched hand. When that happens, simply withdraw your hand and ignore the snub. It’s the other person’s problem, not yours.

Knowing when and how to shake hands is an important business skill whether you are working in your own office or if you are traveling to a meeting 5,000 miles away. Always give the impression of someone who is polite and confident by cultivating a firm, but not crushing, grip and always offer your hand when appropriate.

(c) 2007, Lydia Ramsey, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links made live.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author. Learn from Lydia by using her four LIVE business etiquette broadcasts on DVD or by reading her newest book “”Lydia Ramsey’s Little Book of Table Manners”". You can purchase these business etiquette tools here.

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Tags: ethical, decisions, social, work, behaviour

Is it possible for a business to be concerned about anything apart from making money? The idea does not seem to have any sense. We associate the word “”business”" with profits, losses, money, success, and failure. It is true that a sustainable businesses must make more of a profit than a loss – unless it has an exterior source of funding. However, there is a subtle difference between this and the idea that a business must make a maximum profit, and focus on this at all costs.

Maximum profit at all costs

Without doubt there are businesses – perhaps the majority – that would fit under this category. However, there are also a number of businesses that have alternative goals. Increasingly, there are businesses that see the importance of maximising benefits in addition to their goal of maximising profits.

Corporate social responsibility

Many businesses now highlight the fact that they are “”caring”" businesses, with other focusses than profit-making. This is seen when large corporations donate a percentage of money to charities, or run their own aid scheme. Some may question whether this is truly altering a business’ goals or whether the business is reacting to increase its attraction to potential or existing customers.

A clever ploy or real

So is there a way to tell if a business is truly motivated by doing good, or whether they are conning their clients into believing they are? It should be possible with sufficient research and analysis of the business in question, to identify where the goal of the business came into being. However, the opaqueness of many corporations may make this next to impossible. Regardless, the question must be asked whether the motive is important in this case, if the outcome is benefitting society.

A special case: charities and non-profit organisations

Although these would be seen by many as the prime example of a business not about making money, there is a caveat. Some non-profits are so focussed on gaining funds from grant-giving organisations or donations, that the difference between them and profit-focussed business is blurred.

Conclusion

Businesses may or may not be motivated by anything more than making a profit. However, in recent times, businesses have been focussing on increasing their corporate social responsibility, and at least in effect not operating as entities with the sole goal of profit-making. The result has a been an increase in funds directed to social causes. Customer demand is likely to be at least part of the reason for this development, and so for this trend to continue and increase, customers should shop where they see businesses operating in an ethical manner.
Ben Coleman is the CEO and owner of Real Free Websites. He has been designing websites and working on website technologies since 1999. Real Free Websites was created to fill a niche: to offer free or low-cost customized websites and top quality hosting combined with an ethical approach.

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Tags: ethical, work, issues, behaviour, practice

It seems that whenever internet marketing is discussed, business ethics and moral issues form background issues. Starting an online business is well within the price range of every person who has a modem and a computer. The fact that its is so cheap to get in, many people have lowered the standard of the entire industry.

The goal is sometimes to make customer paralysed until expiry of the guarantee period. During this period the customer has the power if they bought through a trusty payment processor.

The ethics come into play from the minute the idea pops in the brain of its creator until the business closes down and the last share holder has been paid his or her share. There is no single place for integrity and ethics in a business just as there is no place for playing around in a business.

When a customer contacts you and wishes to demand an unnecessary activity from your business or employees, and they cannot be reasoned with. There is room to terminate contact with that customer and bar them from any further interaction with your organisation. This is also part of ethics towards yourself and your staff, because the customer may not always be right.

How do you deal with a customer who feels that the product was misrepresented? You ask them if they are happy with the product and make yourself or company available to support them until they are happy. FAQ’s and auto-responders are there to deal with frequent queries but ideally you should try to limit them down by improving the product or the delivery of that product so that the query becomes a irrelevant.

I have seen websites with FAQ’s that were pages long and they were actually proud of it. Who has the time to wade through all that mess and read some question that might not be related to them? If you disagree try and get assistance from that website and see how you feel when they direct you to their FAQ’s. Would you buy their next product?

The best marketing presentations cover all those questions that a customer might have before they buy. This is part of ethical behaviour in any type of venture. Unethical companies make up the majority of the failed start-ups between 1 and 5 year period.

To search more information on currently available on the latests marketing techniques and online business opportunities, please click here Article written by Thoriso Mashego.

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Tags: ethical, work, issues, behaviour, practice

A new organizational paradigm is needed in order to avoid the all too common lapses in legal and ethical behavior which is seen in organizations in the world today. Ethics can no longer be seen by management of organizations as a side-line activity that is only meant to meet legal and regulatory guidelines, while leaders focus on the more important issues of profitability and the bottom line. Rather, ethics must be seen as a core function of every leader in every organization. To avoid pitfalls of ethical lapses which effect not only the individual, but also the team, the company, shareholders, customers, and the general public, ethics cannot be seen as less important or less urgent than any other managerial and/or leadership function.

In the past, the organization itself may not have been viewed as having direct responsibility for the ethical or unethical behavior of individual members of the organization. Unethical actions of members of the organization were seen as the sole responsibility of the individual. The individual alone could be held accountable for lapses in ethical behavior and the organization itself may not have been seen has having any further responsibility in the matter (Seeger, 2001, p. 3). However, as organizations have become more complex and interconnected, individual responsibility has proven more difficult to ascertain (p. 4). This is true whether we are discussing the responsibility of the successful launch of a new product or not reporting ethical violations. In most any organization today it would be nearly impossible to assign any one individual responsibility for the successful launch of a new product, so it is equally difficult to lay sole accountability for only one individual within an organization who may not report fraud. Was it the researcher who first thought of the idea, or the team who developed the product or the marketing manager or the sales team who is accountable for the success of the new product; or is a combination of all of them? In just the same manner, is it the person who does not report fraud to blame, or his manager who pushes for improved results with less emphasis on reporting procedures, or the legal department for not teaching the proper procedures to make reports, or the Human Resource department for not clearly explaining the rules; or is it an organizational shortcoming where all contribute to the lapses in ethical behavior?

In too many organizations “”ethical issues are often positioned in opposition to the more important questions of organization profitability”" (p. 4). However, in the new paradigm, shareholders cannot be seen as the only, or the most important stakeholder. Rather, all stakeholders must be seen as equally important for the organization to avoid a narrow economic focus which may lead to lapses in ethical behavior which in the end, lead to severe economic and legal consequences for the organization and its stakeholders (p. 4).

New managers and leaders must focus time and energy not only on making the organization profitable, but they must learn to help individuals in the organization recognize situations which may cause ethical dilemmas and ways in which to apply ethical behavior in a way that satisfies all stakeholders. Teaching individuals how to apply ethics when it comes to moral controversies must become a key focus of leaders in the new paradigm (p. 7). “”Applied ethics focuses on norms and guidelines of professional practice, methodologies for promoting ethical decision-making, various codes of conducts and how these function to promote discussion, informal decisions, and resolve practical ethical problems (p. 7). This focus must become a new major responsibility of every manager and leader within the new organization.

Texas Instruments is an example of a company that embodies this new organizational paradigm of management. The National Academy of Engineering cites example of how Texas Instruments’ leadership is focusing on ethical behavior on its on line ethics center (www.onlinethics.org). The company has created a website for employees to visit which lists hundreds of articles which have been published in corporate magazine TINews.

Examples like Texas Instruments show how a new paradigm is developing in organizations regarding the managerial focus on ethical behavior. Such focus will have beneficial effects on all stakeholders and a long term benefit to the bottom line by improving stakeholder relations and avoiding costly lapses in ethical behaviors which are damaging to the organization and its stakeholders.

References:

Seeger, M., (n.d.). Ethics and communication in organizational contexts: Moving from the fringe to the center. Retrieved July 6, 2007 from a website

On line Ethics Center (visit the website). Retrieved July 10, 2007

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

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Tags: ethical, work, issues, behaviour, practice

Machiavelli said that “The first opinion which one forms of a prince, and of his understanding, is by observing the men he has around him; and when they are capable and faithful he may always be considered wise”.

Similarly the selection of the employees in the modern organization is critical as they are the most valuable assets of the organization. Machiavelli proposed that those should be hired who believe in the grandness of the task and greatness of the leader rather than who are simply driven by other factors like money and reputation (Knowledge@Wharton, 2003). As per him the people looking for money and reputation will leave the moment they will get it better somewhere else.

Secondly all the employees and subjects should be armed as the power of prince will considerably increase with their number. This can be easily translated into providing more opportunities to employees in the work place. This will not only prepare them for bigger task but also improve their loyalty toward the organization.

End Justify the Means

The word ‘Machiavellian’ in English is now widely referred as ‘the political doctrine of Machiavelli: any means (however unscrupulous) can be used by a ruler in order to create and maintain his autocratic government’. The book time and time again mentions that it is prudent for a ruler to use cunning and necessary evil activities, either to instigate fear among his opponents or to protect his kingdom.

The philosophy today is as outdated today as media plays an increasing role in public life and people have zero tolerance toward unscrupulousness. Even in the business world anything unethical is looked down upon and there are strict regulations against it.

Time and time again we have witnessed how the companies which adhere to unscrupulous methods to justify the means are punished not only by authorities but also by the stakeholders. Nike has seen customer protest and product boycott against employment of child labor in its vendors factories in South Asia. Wal-Mart is criticized for not allowing its employees to form labor union and making illegal workers clean stores to cut costs.

The biggest of all is the rigorous punishment to CEO’s of Enron and WorldCom who were found guilty in manipulating accounting practices and fattening profits of the company.

Anand Mann writes Marketing and Business Management articles, journal and columns for Knowledge Weekly.

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Tags:ethical, work, issues, behaviour, practice

Wealth in the new regime flows directly from innovation, not optimization; that is, wealth is not gained by perfecting the known, but by imperfectly seizing the unknown.”

Kevin Kelly

One question that comes to mind is “Why should we distinguish organizational values from personal values?” Let’s take a closer look. Over the centuries, philosophers and researchers have examined the various aspects of values and ethics. Our investigation today will take us on an ethical journey that will help understand how to improve the integrity of 21st century organizations as well as leaders.

Are we in a new era of corruption by senior leaders? Have you noticed all of the leadership scandals? You have high profile CEOs. You have government officials. You have celebrities. What are the results of these bad behaviors? People become less trusting of organizations and people. How can organizations exist when the leader-follower relationship is broken? According to one poll, 45% of the people give Congress poor marks for its honesty and ethics. How can intelligent and powerful people get in so much trouble?

In recent history, political strategists have shifted their approach for dealing with political scandals before the public. The most prevalent method is for a political figure to “get in front of the story” by voluntarily disclosing as much information as possible and by projecting an image of total cooperation with legal and media inquiries. This strategy goes along with denouncing questions as politically motivated, providing little information and praying that the storm will pass over.

Ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took a similar approach when he discovered he was tied to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff scandal. Recently, evidence suggest that politicians are better off just hunkering down until it is over. This strategy is based on the belief that the public has a short attention span or memory. If a politician carries on with his duties, he can overcome any negative baggage. Examples of this approach can be found with prominent Democrats and Republicans as well the White House.

For example, President George Bush and the White House came under investigation in the Plame case in 2003. Senior White House officials faced legal and political scrutiny for leaking the identity of the covert CIA operative. The White House took no personnel actions and said nothing publicly. It appeared to have worked.

During the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal, President Clinton used the hunkered down approach. Polls taken during the time suggested that most Americans concluded that Clinton probably lied; they considered the matter a private one for family.

Clinton knew if he had acknowledged the affair in 1998, the political uproar would have driven him from office. Clinton explained in 2004, “I think the overwhelming likelihood is that I would have been forced from office…” Hunkering down does work. Unfortunately, this unethical behavior will continue unless citizens demand more. Lead, character does count.

References:

Ciulla, J.B. (1998). Ethics: The Heart of Leadership. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Draft (1995). Organization Theory and Design. New York: West Publishing Company.

Harris, J. (April 12, 2005). In recent scandals, a rethinking of capital’s conventional wisdom. Washington Post.

Ethics Quality.com (n.d.). Cultural Management Essentials. Received on October 30, 2006, from http://www.ethicsquality.com/culturemgt.htm.

Kern, C. (2003). Creating and Sustaining an Ethical Workplace Culture, Pepperdine University.

King, S. (2006). The Moral Manager. Public Integrity. 8(2), pp.113-133.

Koch, W. (December 11, 2006). Washington scandal eating up public trust. USA Today.

Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2003). Credibility. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Kowert, P. (2001). Leadership and Learning in Political Groups. Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration. 14(2). pp.201-232.

Kurtz, R. (2003). Organizational culture, decision-making, and integrity, Public Integrity. 5(4). Pp.305-317.

Miller, W. (2001). Responsible Leadership: Base Your Leadership on Spiritual Roots. Executive Excellence. 18(5).

Nelson, M. (1994). Why Americans hate Politics and Politicians. Virginia Quarterly Review. 70(4), p.636, 18p.

Psychology Today. (1993). Decision making: How presidents think. Pg 8.

Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. The Leadership Quarterly. 16(5), pp. 655-687.

Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in Organizations. Delhi, India: Pearson Education, Inc.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of four books, including More than a Conqueror: Achieving Personal Fulfillment in Government Service. Do you want to improve your life? Do you want to make better decisions? If you answer “”yes,”" then go to the ‘master decision-making’ website

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Tags: unethical, examples, article, workplace, behaviour

Many in the business, education, government and not for profit sectors consider themselves to be true professionals. Yet if this was so, why are we experiencing far more poor ethics from the financial meltdown to pay for play to the decline in even professional associations?

Professionalism is a word embraced by many, but in all honesty demonstrated by far fewer individuals. Its Latin’s origins come from the word profess which means “to avow before.” So the question is what are these individuals who believe themselves to be true professionals avowing before? Possibly the answer may be found within the word professional.

1. P = Positively proactive. Professionals demonstrate behaviors that are positive and proactive instead of negative and reactive.

2. R = Respect. Through this ethic and value of respect, professionals are known and trusted within and without their respective organizations.

3. O – Opportunities to help others. Those who avow before understand they have a responsibility to help others whether it is to grow self leadership skills or provide some expert advice.

4. F – Follow-up. No one likes to wait for un-returned phone calls or emails. Professionals make it a habit to follow-up on everything and accept responsibility when they fail to engage in that behavior.

5. E – Empathy. Professionals know how to be empathetic. This characteristic is a one of the signs of high emotional intelligence and a predictor for leadership success.

6. S – Self-confident. When individuals are self confident, they do not have to put others down at their own expense. These individuals have a high sense of balanced self-esteem and role awareness.

7. S – Sustainable. Professionals are truly sustainable in that they can continue forward when times become difficult. Their ethics and beliefs keep them focused.

8. I – Integrity. Simply simply, integrity is putting your values into action; doing the right thing when no one else is looking without personal gain or benefit; and accepting a potential personal cost.

9. O – Optimize all interactions. This is really critical because professionals do not negate the value of people. They look to see how one interaction can benefit someone else even before themselves.

10. N – Nimble. Being flexible and open to change allows these individuals to be quick on their feet, nimble to the opportunities that they encounter on a daily basis.

11. A – Awareness. Having a high level of awareness of themselves, the marketplace, the community and even the world helps these individuals to continually stay on top of things.

12. L – Leadership. Last, but not least, professionals demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and even more importantly self leadership skill. For if you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead others.

Leadership Coaching Tip: Take a few moments to revisit this list and determine if there are any areas to be further developed. Remember the origins of the word professional – to avow before and are your actions in alignment with your beliefs?

P.S. This tools helps with developing true professionals

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Tags: ethics, business, behaviour, professional, value

Walk through the aisles of any grocery story or even convenience store, pick up any product and you will see an expiration date. These dates are for your consumer safety as well as to receive the most benefit from the nutrients within the food product.

Yet, recently, I have come to observe that many individuals in business who profess to be true professionals as well as those in government are demonstrating business ethics or values with expiration dates. Initially statements specific to their behaviors are made without a date. Then realizing that change is more difficult than originally expected or will take additional effort a date is added. If the added date is not made, a new date pops up.

The work ethics associated with these behaviors become a moving object. As new dates are added, the impact of the quality decreases to those who are on the receiving end of these expiration dated values.

For example, how many times have we heard that during the tenure of this leadership or management team it will be the most ethical in the organization’s history? Then as time moves forward, we hear, not from leadership, but outside sources about unethical behaviors. Then leadership makes excuses and sets a new expiration date.

Why business ethics or values now have expiration dates may be connected to the relativism that has affected the U.S. during the last several decades. Relativism has many definitions, but essentially means that everything is truth and is relative to the individual. In other words, values become moving targets or simply are now produced with expiration dates.

The recent meltdown of Wall street, the bailout of Wall Street, the ponzi schemes, the individuals who knowingly violate the law and believe that they are above it are all examples of values with expiration dates. Even before these incredible examples, many of us heard this expression, “Do as I say, not as I do.” This is a values statement with an expiration date.

So how do business leaders and true professionals avoid values with expiration dates? First, make sure that you have a values statement that has been clearly articulated within your organization. Everyone from the bottom up to the top down understands the specific acceptable behaviors and equally unacceptable behaviors.

Next, enforce the values statement. Recent surveys of college graduates and high school students show an increase in cheating and that cheating is acceptable. These surveys also reveal that these cheating young people believe that they have high ethics.

The old expression everyone does it is another justification of having a values statement with expiration dates. In other words it’s okay to cheat to get the best grade in school and when I leave school, I will no longer cheat. If you believe that, I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

Having a values statement may cost you some business in the short term. However, in the long term you will gain far more than any potential short term loses.

Unlock more business results by standing out in your marketplace. Sign up to receive notification of Leanne’s forthcoming sales coaching book to help you become that Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits.

If you would like to how leadership development and business ethics can help you increase your business results.

You probably do not want to be uncomfortable. Who does? Yet, you want to improve business results and to stop all those sleepless nights right before sales figures are due.Experience how being uncomfortable can help you increase business results.

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Tags: ethics, business, values, moral, behaviour

Hardly a day goes by that the newspapers, magazines, TV talk shows, and workplace water cooler conversation does not include some mention of Bruno, Bernie and Blago – notorious folks who have been accused of actions that are either immoral or unethical, but folks who maintain that “I have done nothing illegal.” There seems to be no end to the line of folks who wait their turn to point their accusatory finger at Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, New York’s former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and the infamous financier Bernie Madoff.

Each of these three individuals has concocted a “story” that allows them to rationalize and justify their immoral or unethical behavior – a story each uses to absolve themselves of blame or guilt so that they can create their own so-called truth and not own their inappropriate behavior. Thus, their “I did nothing illegal” story or some flavor of it is simply a ploy to evade self-responsibility.

However, there’s something more here in the groundswell of the masses who are so quick to judge others. What is not being “outed” among this list of folks who aggressively assert their “legal non-guilt” in order to mask their unethical behavior is that this list does not include another individual, and that is “Everyman” – you and me.

From the boardroom on the 52nd floor to the mailroom in the basement and on every floor in between, there is a “me” – someone who has not taken the moral high ground, someone whose moral compass does not point north, someone who has driven off the high road – someone who has their own “story” to justify their unethical, illegal or immoral behavior.

When we point our accusatory finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back to “me”.

When I read the daily listing of well-known perpetrators who are behaving immorally and unethically, my gut is to include “everyman” – those among us who are not well-known, famous or infamous, but who are behaving badly nevertheless.

For example, folks who steal supplies from the office, pens and towels from hotels, cheat on their income taxes, call in sick when they aren’t, spend company time surfing the Internet, refuse to pay vendors with trumped-up “excuses”, bilk clients out of more fees than they deserve, “borrow” intellectual property, keep two sets of books at home. Each of these has their “story” (“I have done nothing illegal”) which they tell to rationalize and justify their inappropriate behavior, behavior that is no more or no less egregious than the “big-shots” who appear in daily newscasts.

If one person steals 50 billion dollars while a number of non-notorious individuals find ways, for example, to steal small amounts which, over time, whose collective thefts add up to substantial amounts of money, they are no less culpable. Their low road, or moral compass is no less “off” than the “named” personalities. It’s not the “amount”. It’s the behavior.

And those who say this is an “apples-oranges” comparison need to question their own thought-process, i.e, their own “story” about why they need to think that way, separating themselves from those who are behaving badly.

The point here is that these “big fish” were at one time “small fish.” When did the inappropriate behaviors they exhibited on the way up begin and how did the degree of inappropriateness increase? Taking their first drink, the alcoholic never dreams of becoming an alcoholic. Eating a first dish of ice cream, the slim never dreamed of becoming obese. Making an initial furtive glance, the innocent never envisioned having an affair. But they all have their “stories” that rationalize a next drink, a next dish of ice cream and a next glance…and more. The way one stolen pen, or dollar, or idea or kiss leads to major acts that are immoral or unethical, perhaps not “illegal”.

So, for the Bernies, the Brunos and Blagos, and for Everyman – you and me – what are our stories, and how did we come to create them in order to justify our immoral and unethical behavior?

So, while we point the accusatory finger at these others, at the same time it’s important that we muster the courage and strength to explore “me” – at whom we are pointing the other three fingers. What about me?

Integrity is not a cloak we put on and take off when convenient. On – only when I accuse others; off – when I need to cut myself a little “integrity slack” in order to justify why I lie, cheat or steal. Integrity is like being pregnant. Either one is or one isn’t. There’s no such thing a being “a little bit pregnant”, or “a bit less in integrity.”

Many of us are quick to judge and criticize others who act without integrity, without ethics, without morality. But many of us are just as prone to separate from our core values when it’s convenient. The question is: “Why?” What does acting out of integrity get me and what is the truth, the real truth about “my story” (my hypocrisy) I use to rationalize or justify my unethical or immoral behavior? Why am I so quick to point the accusatory finger at the Brunos, Blagos and Bernies but turn a blind eye to my own unethical behavior?

No single snowflake ever wants to be responsible for the avalanche. Many of us are those snowflakes that contribute to the avalanche of blue- and white-collar crimes and misdemeanors we are facing in this country. It’s not just the Brunos, Blagos and Bernies who lack inner moral compasses and choose the load road. As Pogo, said, “We have met the enemy and he is us” – i.e., you and me.

Perhaps while standing on line waiting to accuse, we might take a moment and reflect on our own ethics and morality in how we are dealing with others.

So, some questions for self-reflection are:

Do you have a “story” you use to absolve you from guilt, shame or blame when you act out of integrity? How does your story make you feel?

How do you feel when others who have acted immorally or unethically but not “illegally” state their rationalization or justification?

Who or what usually takes you out of integrity?

Does it ever bother you when you are out of integrity? How do you deal with the “bother?”

Do you use the same definition to define integrity, ethics or morality for yourself and for others? If not, why not?

How do you respond when others’ unethical acts affect you?

What was your experience around unethical or immoral behavior as you were growing up? How did these experiences make you feel?

Can you envision a life where you never act immorally, unethically or out of integrity? What would that be like?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Vajda, Ph.D, C.P.C. is a founding partner of SpiritHeart, an Atlanta-based company that supports conscious living through coaching and counseling. With a practice based on the dynamic intersection of mind, body, emotion and spirit, Peter’s ‘whole person’ coaching approach supports deep and sustainable change and transformation.

Peter facilitates and guides leaders and managers, individuals in their personal and work life, partners and couples, groups and teams to move to new levels of self-awareness, enhancing their ability to show up authentically and with a heightened sense of well be-ing, inner harmony and interpersonal effectiveness as they live their lives at work, at home, at play and in relationship.

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Tags: ethics, moral, behaviour, theory, issues

When I think of an inventor, people like De Vinci , Ben Franklin, Edison, and Bell come to mind. Now days it seems anyone with an idea is an inventor. Granted, we do have people coming up with marvelous and very creative ideas. We see it all the time on late night info commercials. The reality is that less then 10% of patents even make it to market. I think it’s because most so-called inventors, don’t take the time to investigate if there is even a market for their product. None the less, thousands of people have ideas that are going to make them rich, and they don’t know where to start.

That is where your friendly Invention Company comes to the rescue. The thing is, they all offer legitimate services and have clients who have actually made money. Oh what money you can make too. A license agreement is the Golden Fleece for inventors. Many times a company who likes your idea will pay as much as $100,000 or more, in up-front money. Then the monthly residuals can also be in the thousands. Remember that 10% I talked about, well that pertains to the Invention Companies as well.

I’m not going to name names, because most of them operate in the same manner. You can always Google invention companies. I’m sure you will find more than a handful listed. I’m also equally as sure if you go to Rip Off Report you’ll see many of them listed there as well. Almost all of these companies reel their fish in the same way, with the offer of a free gift or evaluation.

THE BAIT

Invention Companies don’t want to scare you, so they usually offer to send out the FREE obligatory Invention Kit. It is always presented in a very attractive and professional package. They all send a beautiful brochure, and some even include a CD showing what a great organization you are getting involved with. Of course there is always information on Patent Help. They want to plant that seed of protecting your fantastic idea right away. The other document they enclose is your safe form to submit your idea. (This can also be accomplished online through their secure website) It won’t take very long before they contact you, believe me.

THE HOOK

When they contact you, it is always with good news. Your idea or invention has enormous potential. Before we can move forward however, it must first be determined if there is someone who came up with your idea first. Now it just so happens that they have put together the most efficient team of researchers, so they can keep the cost of a Patent Search very reasonable. The price they charge is somewhere in the neighborhood of $500-$700. Of course once they determine yours is a unique idea, then they will be there to assist you with a Patent. That cost is not quoted of course, because they must do the Patent Search first.

THE CATCH

For those unsuspecting “inventors” who let them do the Patent Search, the company also offers the complete line of services, designed to take your idea from concept to market. By this time you have fully researched them. Their Brochure has listed the hundreds of manufactures just waiting to buy your product. All we need now is the perfect PROTOTYPE. For only $10,000 to $15,000 of your money, they will design, build, and “market” your brainchild, and take only 10-15% of what you make. The “marketing” consist in most cases, of false promises. The so-called manufacturing contacts, constitutes no more then listing your invention on a website that prospective buyers can view. A good prototype will occasionally be presented at trade shows. Most cases however, sadly end up with a $20,000+ souvenir for their efforts.

There are a few Invention Companies that do offer to pay for everything, if your idea or invention is worthy of their investment. Of course they will take a piece of the pie,20-25%. That seems fair. If they’re footing the bill, then they are surly going to do everything to get you that licencing agreement. The “hook” here is that an evaluation must first be performed, to determine the validity of your project. That will be priced at about $200. Now if you truly believe yours is the next best thing, this is the way to go. It was for me. I will warn you however, your idea must be marketable to absolutely everyone, or don’t waste your money. I came about 12 points from acceptance, because I was catering to a niche market. A very large niche, but none the less, a niche market. I don’t regret the investment however, I was able to learn a little more about the business. They told me about the Provisional Patent. Which for only $100 will give you protection for a year. Let the manufacture who buys the idea pay for your real Patent. Something you’ll never hear from those other invention companies. They also guided me in the direction of some website’s that manufactures peruse. Which brings me to this little tip for you.

THE POOR MANS COPYRIGHT

It is something I learned about when I was a young writer submitting television treatments. Any original thought or idea that you come up with, should be protected with this procedure. On paper, write down everything about your idea, including all drawings or plans. Then mail it to yourself as registered mail. It will be timed stamped and dated. Keep it safe because it is considered a legal document, and will hold up in court.

Well now that I knew about patent searches, patents, and provisional patents, I thought what else didn’t I have knowledge of. Further research led me to an offer by a very respected inventor. He has dozens of patents, many of which has made him extremely wealthy. For only $350.00 he sends you his system that shows you how to take an idea and market it. The system also includes the inventor as your very own mentor.

Believe me, if I spent the $350.00, I would be giving you his name and website right now.

But I found something equivalent for a fraction of that cost.

Frank Stapleton the co-inventor of the Screensweep, has written an E-Book that tells you everything you need to know. Chances are you have used his invention to clear the dust off your computer monitor. Millions of Screensweeps have been sold since 1998 and are still selling today. His book covers everything, including:

* Patent an invention without paying the hefty patenting fees.

* How to get your product to market quickly WITHOUT wiping out your entire life savings or mortgaging your home.

* The EXACT sequence of events you need to follow to launch your invention idea. Just follow the simple step-by-step flow chart included in the e-book.

Please, before doing anything read this book. You can find it at: My recomMANNdations

Inventors Click Here

I invested almost $200.00 before getting on the right track. I Hope I have helped you to at least understand better, the

Invention Company’s game.

In his late 50′s, Avery Mann considers himself to be a Jack of all trades and master of quite a few things. He spent most of his adult life as a struggling actor. Because of that he has acquired an abundance of knowledge, he now would like to share with the rest of the world. You can always find new and inspirational ideas at My RecomMANNdations : Inventors Click Here

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Tags: ethics, business, behaviour, professional, value

Greed and a lack of an internal moral compass produced our current economic meltdown – incredible numbers of people so focused on making astronomical profits that ethics went right out the window. Corporate executives have a fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders and investors that they completely ignored. Now, the American taxpayers are bailing out industries that had our funds in trust.

It Gets Started When We Take Ethical Shortcuts

The interesting thing is that it’s easy to point fingers at the people in the news to complain about how they committed theft and ignore our own ethical shortcuts. This past week I got some insight into how difficult it is to set our own ethical limit.

My Ideal Is When Both Client and I Win

I had the great good fortune recently to participate in training with a major small business consulting firm. I was excited about being there because the trainers said the things I wanted to hear about doing what’s best for both the client and their company. Everybody wins. I love it!

Even though I tend to be idealistic in how I approach caring for a client, I too have failed at times to live 100% according to my values. Sometimes personal survival temporarily overrode what I felt was right because I “needed” to keep my job. So this past week was good because I got to see other viewpoints that softened my rigid standards a bit.

Sincere Statements Can Mean Different Things to Different Speakers

But in the end, one executive’s story showing how he cared about what was in the client’s best interest, back when he was a field consultant, really stuck with me — because it showed me how far apart we could be in our viewpoints while both of us sincerely say the same words.

“Joe” told the story of a client who hired his company to identify the problems his daughter was having taking over his business. Within thirty minutes, “Joe” had identified the problem but knew the job would close the minute he told the client what he found so he had to find ways to delay telling the client that his daughter was gay and the company’s very macho employees would not work with her. After three weeks of billing, he finally decided that it was unfair to the client to bill any more. He needed to tell the client that she preferred an “alternative lifestyle” and his employees took issue with that. Once he finally made it clear that they wouldn’t work for a gay woman, the job was over.

When the Value We Provide Is Less Than We Charge, We’re Stealing

My initial self-righteous position was that he took advantage of that client just to get his billing numbers – and bonuses – up. But as I thought about it, I realized that even I would have had to bill for some number of hours, doubtless several days while I looked for ways to turn the situation around. Once I was convinced that nothing I could do would enable her to run the company, I would be obligated to inform the client, even though the job would “crash.” To drag it out is the same in my mind as stealing. The client or customer is paying for value – value equal to or greater than what we are charging. When we can no longer provide that amount of value, we are now robbing him.

The Ethical Dilemma We Face Is Knowing Where the Cut-off Is

The difficulty lies in identifying where that point is. This is the ethical dilemma that most of us in sales and marketing, in consulting, and in business management face. It’s the first step onto a slide that eventually leads to Enrons, Worldcoms, sub-prime mortgage collapses, and all of the other self-serving business decisions that produced our current worldwide financial crisis.

Tips to Avoid Going Too Far

So how do we know where we need to stop billing a client — or selling a customer — on our solution if we are to avoid becoming a thief?

- Follow the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

- Follow the two rules that Richard Maybury gave in Whatever Happened to Justice

1) Do all you have agreed to do, and

2) Do not encroach on other persons or their property.

- Ask yourself, how would I feel if I was the client paying for this advice?

1. Your advice or products and services need to provide benefits equal to or greater than the price you are charging.

2. Do no harm – even when your advice is desperately needed, if your client can’t make payroll after paying your invoice, something is wrong with that picture.

Ethical dilemmas are challenging because there is no black and white answer. Ethics hold you to a higher standard than human laws. But it is a standard that requires you to decide. In my example of “Joe” above, only he knows if his billing was legal theft because only he has all the facts that went into determining what value he provided his client. Life is full of grays and very few black and white choices. Maybe that is why customers treasure relationships they can trust. The simplest standard to be sure you are giving the value your customer or client is paying for is, “How would I feel if the positions were reversed?”

Would you like to reprint this article? You may as long as you include this blurb in its entirety: John R. Aberle is a consultant, coach, and speaker on sales and marketing, teaching a transformational style of selling that makes it fun and mutually rewarding for the customer as well as the salesperson. By helping customers buy, you develop long-term customer relationships, minimize sales rep turnover, and make profitable sales. This style of selling fits naturally into the social networking approach to marketing.

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Tags: ethical, dilemmas, problems, behaviour, conduct

Have you ever wondered what fair trade companies actually do? And just because they say that they are ethical and you should buy their products, how can you know they can truly be trusted?

If you’ve ever found yourself asking these questions, then check out these simple tips and guidelines to help you navigate the world of ethical trading and ensure that your shopping experience is a positive one.

Firstly, what does ‘fairly traded’ actually mean?

When a product is described as ‘fair trade’, it means that producers were paid decent wages (often two to three times more than standard, and certainly not the minimum wage), working conditions were humane, sustainable working practices were followed, and that all of these were closely monitored.

Fair trade companies purchase from producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary or exploitative middlemen. This means there is no sub-contracting and out-sourcing. Supply chains must be transparent.

After all, so many companies distance themselves and their brands from the products they sell and the factories where production takes place. There’s a good quote from Helen Woodward, an important US copywriter in the 1920s, which illustrates the gap between the aspirational image of a brand and the often grim reality of how the products are actually made:

“If you are advertising any product, never see the factory in which it was made…Don’t watch the people at work…because, you see, when you know the truth about anything, the real inner truth – it is very hard to write the surface fluff which sells it”.

Put simply, fair trade companies are the opposite of that. There is no hidden secret behind the brand, because these are companies that are taking a holistic view of business, in which they have resolved to eliminate exploitation of workers and the environment.

So what do these companies actually do?

The answer is very simple. In many ways, they are just like any other business or enterprise. They are selling just like ordinary companies, because increasingly ethical trading is moving away from its origins as handcrafted ‘world’ or maybe even slightly hippy goods into the mainstream. Essentially, the market is demanding good products that are made according to ethical practices. That’s why you’ll now find a host of ethically-sourced products, including jewellery, clothing, furniture and much more.

Even some of the biggest chain stores now stock ethical products and ranges. In the late 1990s students and activists were attacking the likes of Starbuck’s for exploiting workers, but now Starbuck’s is one of the biggest buyers of fairly traded coffee in the world. WalMart also stocks ethically-sourced products. This is a world that’s changing radically all the time.

So how can I trust these fair trade companies?

Good question. And totally legitimate. After all, in many cases you as the customer may be being expected to spend a little bit more to help a social cause. So you have every right to question their authenticity.

There are a number of certification bodies and standards organisations that you should look out for when you’re shopping or consuming. For commodities such as coffee and chocolate, in the US you should look out for the Fair Trade Certified stamp, while in the UK, it’s the ‘Fairtrade Mark’ scheme run by the Foundation of the same name.

For finished goods such as jewellery, check out membership of the World Fair Trade Organisation or the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS). And ask your ethical store what makes them so. Information about producers and transparency over production methods is important.

Today we are seeing a rapidly growing alternative system of trade which ensures that producers and workers in developing countries get a better deal from international trade. There are a whole host of fair trade companies, as well as conscious consumers, at the forefront of this developing system, because ultimately, it’s trade, not aid, that’s helping to bring millions of people around the world out of poverty.

Nicholas Watson is a commentator on fair trade issues. He is also founder of the Online Fair Trade Store

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Tags: ethics, code, conduct, business, behaviour

In life, all things connect at every level, and money, honesty and value, the main trinity of this connection in the normal, modern work world is no exception. So, in this article I would like to examine this triumvirate or trinity of concepts in depth and as an integrated whole. Indeed, when this article is done, these concepts will be linked as a solid triangular matrix that works objectively rationally through reality in appearance and actuality and unifies in your mind subjectively as a fully rational and workable concept.

In existence, reality connects in an orderly, understandable way, because in nature, structure does monitor function: from the food we eat, to the way our bodies work, to the air we breathe: reality connects through structures, then the functions of those structures. Indeed, everything starts from basic building blocks and then works upward from there. Even when fully realized, change and evolution is a part of the building blocks that make up everything. Everything is a cycle of thought and action. In fact, time is that way objectively. For the ancestor of every action is a thought, to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson. If there is no thought behind an action, there can be no success or even fulfillment of reality, even if the result is failure. For consciousness and consciousness only creates conscious results, no matter what.

Connect consciousness to value, and no matter what if there is consistent productive thought behind that consciousness, there is ultimately genuine conscious success as a result. Success is the only value that counts. Anything else is failure. Failure is just a “stepping stone”, but never permanent if efforts are kept consistent and unfailing. Consistency is the key, sure a “never quit attitude” helps, but being able to vary your approach no matter what obstacles may come up is a must in every genuine way. Never quitting and doing the same thing every time without variance is disaster, insanity and frustration. Success is as success adapts.

Honesty and value anchor the triangle of modern survival and adaptation is the ultimate survival technique for success. Indeed, I put money at the top of the triangle of money, honesty and value, to say that money arises from the base of the concept of honesty and values, and without those things money, gold, or whatever commodity is worthless paper, metal or whatever. And anyone who disconnects this triangle from the essential reality of life cannot live in reality but in a dream world of fantasy where mysticism reigns supreme. Survival in reality and objective thinking creates genuine strength. Succumbing to subjective fantasies and mysticism creates genuine weakness. Indeed, weakness is failure and strength is success. No other concept matters as a whole, no other parts matter if you do not take anything else away from this article. For this article seeks rational, integrated action takers and genuine honest people. The rest are not my concern, and I am not writing for them in this article. Need I say that this article is for “cold blooded”, “black hat” winners? No, I won’t. But, I am saying that this article is for productive people who produce more for reality than they take from reality, but get ever better results in every way.

If there was middle ground and no success and failure to the fullest concept, then we would have a “black and white” fantasy world with no gray areas and no choices. Indeed, we live in reality, where all hues and realities are possible in every genuine way and sense and lazy evasion or facing the whole thing head on are the only two choices. Why and how may be the questions, but the answers only come to those who work on answering the questions for themselves, those with courage and those who face reality unflinchingly. Logic is nothing to be flinched at, but faced and understood. Not feared or played with, but worked with and figured out. For logic is a value that creates benefit, including money and currency that has value when used correctly as a concept. For to handle reality well, is logical thinking and action. Handling reality well is the ultimate value in every way. If it was not, then the ultimate fantasy of escape, like “street drugs” would be the way out, which is definitely not the case in any way. For real life is a sober, happy discipline requiring full, unflinching focus on reality where successful actions make it all enjoyable in every genuine way. For genuine value is a real high and the other “high” that comes from external chemicals or “tricks” never works. Value, at the base of the triangle holds the whole triangle up, for no matter what the rationalization, you can have nothing without value, ever. That is the reality of the situation.

My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker.

I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer. As a kid I did construction work with my Dad which taught me many things like plumbing, hard labor and electrical systems, and I took notes for my Dad’s home poker games at my Uncle Johnnie Gilmore’s house, so I have a lot of life experience, sure. But I went to Cal State Dominguez Hills College, UCLA, and El Camino Junior College and learned a lot, but never got around to getting a degree, just lots of money spent, good grades and some credits. So, here I am currently freelance writing and working at a senior center for a living.

But enough details of my life, what I do is not what I am. So here is what I enjoy, I enjoy reading, listening to music (everything from Beetoven, Strauss and Bach to The Meters, ELO and The Band and Dylan/Garcia and The Grateful Dead also, when they were the Grateful Dead. Well, as you can tell by SOME of the music I listen to, I am a very eclectic person. I am also a deep science fiction fan and as said before, a lover of books. If I were to go into everything it would take thousands of words and I only have about three hundred words here, of which I have used 290 of already. Well, I end here. Thanks. Joshua Clayton.

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Tags: ethics, work, moral, behaviour, conduct

When tough becomes tougher and tougher becomes toughest, come and find the solution of cutting cost in real time. What it needs is just to implement the best IT solution that escalates your communication within your organization with insight business performance graph that helps you in forecasting and the area lagging into your business. This BI solution helps you in gaining best of their IT performance either it is for CTO, CFO or CEO of the company.

Implementing of IT in different department not only enhance your productivity and provides you certain measures that would help you in making great decisions in real time. The total theme of the story is what you give to your executives in return what you will get from their output. If you want to leverage your total cost on IT and its implementation, to streamline your business by providing state of the art business intelligence technological solution?

Business is something what comes in and something goes out- this is the real fundamental of gaining good margin out of it. Don’t be agonizing about your coming hurdle but face it intelligently and make your path smooth while running your business in real time. Come and grab the opportunity and become the best among your competitors. Feel with agility and determination and have the BI tolls for best suits in the industry. Go and grab the opportunity and see the difference. You can help you in business object acquisition in real time. Whatever the situation and fundamental may you have but the thing is that you should be familiar about the theme and present scenario. So hire a best Business Intelligence solution that will implement in real time.

Outsourcing business done in India has a potential to grab the entire globe. Author (Mukesh Pandey ) is associated with euthenics IT solution and have a keen interest in Drawing and craft and holds the certificate from state level competition for email: Euthenics IT solution.

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Tags: ethics, business, behaviour, professional, value

We have all probably experienced mysterious charges appearing on billing statements. When you try to resolve the problem you begin to wonder what the word “prompt” actually means today. The wonderment continues when you try to extrapolate the meaning of the word absolute in reference to privacy policies and “YOUR” account. Confusion and haze encircle the brain’s ‘gray’ matter and things get murkier. When you try to shake it off, you learn that hackers are not only operating on the outside of business, but on the inside.

Dealing with bogus charges is like being on a wagon train and having to create a circle when under attack by the locals. Back then the enemy was Indians. Now the enemy is hackers. Hackers come in all shapes and sizes, and today they include berserk businesses and their billing departments. The weapon of choice is Money. You don’t have any and they do, and they don’t care how they get more.

Haven’t we all thought our account and all the information in our account was private? Well it is, all right, but only the business holding the account can do what they will with it, not you.

Things continue to mutate over time. Since the ‘r’ has disappeared from the word ‘prompt’ when it comes to dealing with a billing problem getting prompt attention has turned into p “”ompt attention (pomp ed). – The meaning of which is ‘self importance’ but it’s no longer a noun. It is part of the business’ “as usual” routine. It’s what they do. They continue to practice and preen, their ‘self-importance.’ at the expense of the consumer. In the past, protocol suggested that what’s mine is mine and only I could access it and make changes. Now accounts are just not safe. We cannot change them or access them.

It used to be only the owner of the account was granted authority to the information on the account including billing and payment thereof, changes or access in any way. It used to be the owner of the account had to give written or verbal permission for access to the account in any way, but now AOL can just attach to your phone and charge you, so beware. It is easier for a hacker to access an account than it is for the account owner due to the codes, passwords, and secret identities each company requires of its account owners/holders, along with the progressive aging of society and agings’ companion, memory loss. It’s difficult to get resolve with these issues, and the time consumed is often one to three hours, which equates to a $300 phone bill. Does this sound like a racket to you?

Prompt is not the only word that has mutated. Absolute joins the ranks by changing to obsolete. The AU is now OE. I refer to the privacy policies of businesses that are so willing mailed and emailed to customers, but they don’t mean a thing. The company’s disclaimers boast “prompt” attention given to customers. I see these little sheets of paper as a wanton waste of paper and terrorist acts done by tree-killers. Graffiti is against the law and that’s all this is, but it’s not even artistically done. Much less, if you are going to say something you better mean it. If you don’t, then stop saying it. These businesses not only get away with littering, but theft has been legalized within their walls.

In Thursday, June 8, 2006 Wall Street Journal an article titled, “…Vulnerability of Web Phone Service to Fraud.” (by Searcy.Young) tells us that having a cable phone service, such as Vonage leaves us wide open to hackers, fraud, identity theft, etcetera. Frankly, I think we are surrounded already. We are susceptible at every turn. Law enforcement is on the look out for outside hackers and they’ve made some arrests, but legislation is condoning the practices of the insiders.

Your land line is just as vulnerable to hackers of this different breed. Cable and internet may not be attached to your phone at all, but charges will appear on your phone bill. And the hackers? Well, they are your current providers; like Qwest Communications and AOL.

We are not safe from any company’s unscrupulous business practices. AOL’s marketing division spew out millions of CDs in their ‘cattle drive’ attempt to gain more customers. Thousands of hours and even months of free service entice the public into using the CDs. After the hours are spent, the three months, or six months, the telephone number under which the initial account flowed through, although disconnected, receives AOL charges. Ten years ago they would accept credit/debit cards only, and then only from the account owner, but they’ve changed. Now any Tom, Dick, or Harry can have charges added to their phone line if they use one of those discs whether you, the phone owner give permission or not. The FCC and our legislators should not allow that kind of billing practice.

It is an act of terrorism against the consumer. When an unsuspecting consumer with a telephone has visitors for two weeks who rent a computer and use one of those CDs to access the internet while they have the rental and charges come in six months later at $30.00 per month… And if you did not set the AOL account up, you won’t be able to cancel it either. Even though you own the phone account, you won’t be able to get the charges credited on that account. Why, because the AOL account is not yours, but you will be expected to pay for it.

This is just sheer terror and, unconscionable behavior from upstanding businesses whose billing departments allow such a thing to occur. Consumers cannot trust the internal workers of current providers like Qwest Communications and AOL. The confidentiality of customer information isn’t safe from the providers much less the hackers. Privacy laws make it more difficult to access our own accounts, but Qwest and AOL can put their billing departments together to allow charges to be placed on an account without authorization by you, the account holder. So, beware, the hackers are not only without, but within.

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Tags:ethics, behaviour, analyst, accounting, business

“The ideals which have always shown before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness beauty and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness had never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.” – Albert Einstein

Some people routinely behave in unethical, immoral and untrustworthy behaviors and hardly ever experience one scintilla of guilt. How is this so?

There’s a growing body of evidence that says such folks “disengage” from their core values, detour from their moral compass and, more than that, consciously “forget” information that would otherwise limit their inappropriate behavior.

It’s quite evident many folks behave dishonestly and then rationalize their dishonest behavior in a way that let’s them off the “honesty” hook.

No longer are the criminals the only rule-breakers in our society. The “dishonest” live and work in virtually every system and organization – finance, politics, healthcare, education – even in our homes; our culture has become inundated by the “dishonest” and “untrustworthy”.

The interesting notion, however, is that these blue- and while-collar folks use the same excuses as criminals use for their crimes of dishonesty.

Psychologists tell us that “moral disengagement” and “moral self-regulation” lead to dishonesty. The deal is there are two modes of reacting when – either by commission or omission – one commits a dishonest act: (1) one can link their act to their moral goals and values or (2) one can uncouple their dishonesty from their moral goals and values. We seem to be experiencing more and more of the latter.

When one behaves dishonestly and unethically, one experiences both a mental and physical reaction. Mentally, one experiences “cognitive dissonance” – a knowing that there is a “disconnect” between one’s act and one’s value system, and there is a “felt-somatic” sense in the body that is experienced as discomfort.

So, what to do?

The curious question is how do folks respond to their dissonance and discomfort? How do they come to grips with their distress? There are those who “do the right thing” and move into alignment with their core values and moral code. And there are those who go through a “rationalization and judgmental” process, i.e., “moral disengagement”, in order to clear their conscience in order to view their action as “morally permissible.”

In addition, there are those who disengage morally in order to benefit from another’s dishonest or unethical behavior (e.g., buying clothes from a company that looks the other way, ignores human rights and uses child labor).

Questioning myself

To what extent do I use “moral disengagement” as a strategy to excuse my or another’s unethical actions as “permissible?” And, why? And, to what extent do I use moral disengagement to actually perpetuate unethical and dishonest behavior – mine and others’?

The vast number of “hypocrites” who have surfaced or been “outed” (and those who haven’t­ yet) in recent days, weeks, months and years in the arenas of, for example, politics, sports, finance and religion are a prime example of the duplicity that moral disengagement perpetuates.

The hypocrisy is couched in the belief that ” I engage in more ethical behavior than others.” Or, “I am less unfair than others.” Or “I have a right to be more suspicious of others’ actions than they do of mine.” Or, “others are more greedy and driven by money than I am.” Or, “I am more honest and trustworthy than others.”

Guilt, shame and self-regulation

The underlying ego-need underlying moral disengagement is to absolve one’s self of guilt, blame or shame for their dishonest deeds, of the disconnect exiting between their values and their actions. When one decides to act dishonestly, their tendency to morally disengage is higher than when they consider another’s unethical behavior. Simply, “I’m ethical and you’re not” – given the same dishonest behavior.

The truth is that everyone, repeat, everyone, can self-censure. Everyone has the ability to consciously view their actions, and self-regulate, i.e., act morally or not. Everyone has the choice to engage in good behavior or bad behavior and judge their actions.

The choice

The ethical and moral bottom line is whether one chooses to activate their self-regulatory process – to consciously consider their values and standards, their moral code, their conduct in the moment.

There are those who choose to not engage their self-regulatory process, to morally disengage. The choice to morally disengage depends to a great extent on the strength of an individual’s core values and their motivations.

Workplace culture and other environments

“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen” – Aristotle

A third factor that affects the degree to which an individual may morally disengage and rationalize dishonesty is the environment and culture in which one finds oneself – work environment, home environment, play environment.

As you reflect on your workplace environment, your home environment, and your recreational environment, what is the culture around dishonesty, cheating, lying, or behaving unethically? What are the tacit, subtle, silent or unwritten rules that reflect immorality, illegality, dishonesty and unethical behavior? Is moral disengagement a “business-as-usual” strategy? Is there a growing sense of pervasive dishonesty?

Given the permissive nature of our culture, the strong force of peer pressure and the almost obsessive need for folks to “fit in” or “stand out” and to be regarded as “somebody” – even those with a strong internal core value system – can often succumb to an unethically permissive environment. Where opportunities, pressure or “silent consent” drive others to lie, cheat and steal, many will – even the “strong-willed.”

The antidote to moral disengagement

Folks choose to be ethical or unethical, trustworthy or untrustworthy. There are a number of efforts one can take to support honesty, ethical behavior and trustworthy behavior. Here are a few:

Conducting formal, on-going conversations about ethics and moral behavior. Such experiences can help to put a stop to some folks’ moral disengagement.

Asking individuals, (yes, even at home) to read, discuss and sign a “moral code of behavior” or honor code. Such actions can help raise people’s awareness which can stem the tide of unethical behavior.

Publicly fostering an open agreement by all to live the espoused values of the organization (or family, or team) and having open conversations with others when they do not.

Reviewing processes and procedures that invite dishonesty and moving to enact ways to prevent inappropriate behavior from occurring.

Publicize behaviors and practices that have detrimental organizational and human effects

Increase the transparency of the discussions that give birth to organizational policies and practices. The more discourse, the less folks may engage in moral disengagement.

Initiating consequences. There must be consequences for bad behavior. Period!

Self-responsibility – it’s all about “me”

In the final analysis, I am responsible for my actions. “The devil made me do it” and “Everybody does it” excuses do not apply – ever. There is a direct coupling between action, goal and motivation (i.e, core values). I and I alone am responsible for that alignment or misalignment – for moral engagement or moral disengagement. Whether I choose to adhere to my internal moral rules or not, that’s my choice.

The sad corollary of moral disengagement is that, like a drug, the need to morally disengage can spiral down into a hellish vortex leading to a life (at work, at home and at play) of obsessive lying, cheating, stealing and dishonesty.

“The needs of society determine its ethics.” Maya Aneglou

Living for the moment, driven by greed, caught up in competition and consumerism and living in a workplace and social environment that says, “It’s OK to be a criminal”, moral disengagement has become the “behavior-du-jour”. When we uncouple our behavior from our internal moral code, and detour from our moral compass with an “ends justifies the means” or “everybody does it” mindset, we are putting our individual futures at risk. The Universal Law of Attraction – The Universal Law of the Circle – says what we give out we get back.

Is “moral disengagement” the underlying life principle of the legacy you want to leave?

So, some questions for self-reflection are:

Is getting ahead more important than how you get there?
Is cheating OK if no one gets hurt?
Is unethical behavior OK because others are doing it?
Do the ends justify the means?
Are you aware of the ethical standards in your workplace? Are there ongoing discussions about ethics and standards? If not, why not?
Do you use euphemistic language to sanitize or condone moral disengagement?
Do you ever use moral disengagement in your personal life to justify unethical or dishonest behavior? If so, why?
Do you ever encourage others to act without (their considering their own) moral restraint?
Do you purchase products from companies you know to be in violation of human rights or other ethical standards?
On a scale of 1-10, how trustworthy would you say you are. What would others say? How do you know?
Can you envision a life where moral disengagement is never an option?

—ABOUT THE AUTHOR—

Peter Vajda, Ph.D, C.P.C. is a founding partner of SpiritHeart, an Atlanta-based company that supports conscious living through coaching and counseling. With a practice based on the dynamic intersection of mind, body, emotion and spirit, Peter’s ‘whole person’ coaching approach supports deep and sustainable change and transformation.

Peter facilitates and guides leaders and managers, individuals in their personal and work life, partners and couples, groups and teams to move to new levels of self-awareness, enhancing their ability to show up authentically and with a heightened sense of well be-ing, inner harmony and interpersonal effectiveness as they live their lives at work, at home, at play and in relationship.

Peter is a professional speaker and published author. For more information: click here

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Tags: ethical, questions, moral, behaviour, business

There has never been a more critical time in our history to be concerned about the trust stakeholders place in institutions. As has been stated by Tim Hartford, “Trust enables people to do business with one another. Doing business is what creates wealth.”

Yet, each day, we hear more stories of trusted executives who betray stakeholder trust. Despite the best intentions of some organizational leaders, public exposure and scrutiny of corporate greed and fraud are so prevalent that stakeholder skepticism is commonplace. In fact, the potential for perceived breaches of trust also presents a risk to corporate leaders. So, what is to be done? What can executives do to right the ship – to exude values that establish, maintain, and maximize stakeholder trust?

In a recent qualitative study of three U.S. institutions, including a Fortune 500 corporation, a government entity, and a nonprofit organization, the author found that there are seven critical elements of a comprehensive trust repair agenda. The first, and most important finding is that when trust has been violated, stakeholders are motivated to understand why the violation occurred.

Findings show that stakeholders first want to understand the circumstances surrounding the violation. Managers and executives should provide an open account of key features of the transgression. Explanations which are authentic, reasoned, open and relevant to the transgression in question enhance fairness judgments, and can increase trustworthiness perceptions. Our findings have been supported by scholars (see Barclay 2008; Greenberg, 1993), and practitioners.

The provision of information is one of the most important elements of a trust repair agenda. However, transparency in information is insufficient. A comprehensive trust repair agenda requires more… organizational leaders should provide as much information as possible without causing harm to their organization.

Practitioners are recommended to ensure their post-transgression communication plan includes: a) a forthright and complete explanation of the organizational failure, including who and what is responsible; b) a comprehensive, reasoned plan going forward, including safeguards against repeating the transgression; and c) honesty and transparency. Practitioners should be mindful that their integrity and competence is being measured by stakeholders at all times.

Organizational executives without the respect of their stakeholders, particularly due to lack of integrity, will have a difficult time restoring trust. Managers are advised to have many reparative conversations during a time of crisis, while providing real evidence of promised change.

About the author:

Rachel Y. Daniel is the CEO of Synergy Marketing Strategy & Research, Inc. Synergy has been designing strategies that build trusted brands for over seven years. Working with Fortune 500 companies, government entities, universities, and mid-sized businesses, Synergy utilizes sound marketing strategy, rigorous marketing research, and excellent customer and stakeholder relationships. For your marketing and branding needs, please visit this site or this site

Rachel completes her doctorate at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in May 2010.

Her research interests include brand and organizational trust, and the impact of justice and fairness perceptions on trust.

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Tags: ethics, trust, conduct, behaviour, moral

Ethics are difficult to hold onto; they may appear situational in nature, changing based on our perspective; a hierarchy seems to exist, where some may be compromised in order to adhere to those that we place greater value on; and they are tested most when we’re faced with a dilemma or the perpetual “rock and hard place”.

Ethics are grounded in our values, and most of us are influenced by both personal and organizational values. Individually, we may hold values such as family, loyalty, honesty, fairness, and compassion. Organizationally, values such as customer service, innovation and accountability are common. These values shape an individual’s character and create organizational cultures.

When it comes to ethics, most of us have a strong moral compass, adopting values and principles that may be described as noble, and are appreciated and strived for by others. For example, wouldn’t you want to work for an organization that espouses these values?

1. Respect: We treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. We do not tolerate abusive or disrespectful treatment. Ruthlessness, callousness and arrogance don’t belong here.
2. Integrity: We work with customers and prospects openly, honestly and sincerely. When we say we will do something, we will do it; when we say we cannot or will not do something, then we won’t do it.
3. Communication: We have an obligation to communicate. Here, we take the time to talk with one another…and to listen. We believe that information is meant to move and that information moves people.
4. Excellence: We are satisfied with nothing less than the very best in everything we do. We will continue to raise the bar for everyone. The great fun here will be for all of us to discover just how good we can really be.

If you answered “yes”, you’re not alone. These values would appeal to many – unfortunately, these are the values of the now infamous Enron Corporation, an organization whose values were corrupted by its leaders for personal gain.

When it comes to ethical cultures, it’s not enough to have a strong set of values; being ethical requires us to translate our values into action through the choices we make. In many cases, this is easier said than done. In those situations, we should ask ourselves:

1. What will people think of me when they find out? Will they be proud?
2. How would I feel if my actions were reported on the front page of the newspaper?
3. Will the people affected by my decision consider it to be fair?
4. What would happen if everyone did this?

Some may argue that ethical decision-making doesn’t concern them; surely ethics are only truly relevant at the executive table? However ethical cultures are built by a pattern of behaviours, a pattern that we all contribute to. Anyone who’s a parent can surely recall a time when they told their child not to hit, lie or steal. However, our children, just like our coworkers, are watching to see if we’re walking the talk. How many of us have “borrowed” organizational resources by taking a roll of tape home to wrap presents with at Christmas time or used the photocopier or printer at work for personal uses? How many of us know of others who have done these things, but we haven’t spoken up?

Unlike the examples above, ethics also play a big role in decision-making and the choices we make reflect our level of integrity, or adherence to our values. While it’s true that managers have an important role to play in creating ethical cultures, so does everyone else. Just like our children, we’re all watching the actions of our coworkers and leaders, learning what is tolerated and what isn’t, and not addressing questionable behaviour is the same as sanctioning it. The Ethics Resource Center1 suggests that the three most important actions that contribute to ethical cultures is:

1. Setting a good example
2. Keeping promises and commitments
3. Supporting others in adhering to ethics standards

This may mean excusing oneself from interviewing a friend; speaking up if you see someone being treated unfairly or benefiting unduly from a business decision; or making decisions that may be unpopular and even career-limiting, but making them anyway because it’s the right thing to do.

In terms of building an ethical culture, congruity between our values and our actions is key, and we all have a role to play.

1Source; “Critical Elements of an Organizational Ethical Culture,” Ethics Resource Center.

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Tags: ethical, cultures, moral, behaviour, conduct

Workplace bullying is more prevalent in today’s workplace than at any time in the past. It is essentially a violation of the individual, and akin to rape in its effects. Both exhibit an abuse of power over an individual(s), resulting in trauma and even psychiatric injury. Both genders may experience it, and as many males as females have been targeted.

A very powerful metaphor comes to mind that is helpful in crystalising your thinking on what workplace bullying does. The powerful and disturbing concept of ‘rape’ comes to mind, with all the horrendous emotions associated with that kind of personal violation. Rape is essentially about the ‘abuse of power’ and only secondarily about intrusive sexual attack. What is done to the victim is nothing less than barefaced rape! This takes two distinct but related forms; there is ‘date rape’ where the target meets with his/her attackers, only to be subjected to strangling emotional abuse by people with a vested interest in destroying the target. Demands are made to violate conscience in which the victim is told that unless s/he did so, the consequences would be terrible. These people see themselves as possessing “the power of life or death” over colleagues. So the rape goes on, time after insufferable time.

Allied to this is the idea of ‘gang rape’ to which some victims are subjected, with key players ‘doing the job,’ and the onlookers enjoying and supporting what they were witnessing. This is excruciatingly painful, especially because these were colleagues with whom the target works, people who are trusted. After such a savage experience, it is difficult, if not impossible, to trust people again. ‘Gang rape,’ as one would imagine, contains the multiplying effect of rape by a single person, and when one finishes and gains his moments of pleasure, others are lining up to gain personal gratification as they continue the psychological torture.

Then there are the bystanders who see what is going on, but do nothing to stop it, or offer any protection from these attackers – no one. They could intervene, were it not for fear of what they might to do them also if they got on their wrong side, and backed someone whom they wanted rid of. It is still true that “turkeys don’t vote for Christmas!”

Hazlett Lynch, Ph.D., is an academic who has researched this phenomenon and is pleased to offer the fruits of his research to a wider reading public. He would draw your attention to his website for further information on workplace bullying http://www.bullying.FirstQualityEbook.com This substantial downloadable ebook is instantly accessible, written in a popular style, and combines an academic base with personal experience. Six free bonuses are included to supplement the report. Please visit this site and give yourself the best chance to recover from the effects of this life-threatening behaviour.

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Tags: ethical, moral, behaviour, conduct, code

Some of the very basic ethics and tactics which I think everyone knows but often observed as ignored situations. I would like to tip these personally. The people who are working in more or less small to medium scale companies, crew of a research center or in universities where they get in contact with the people of different nationalities should,

1: remember “a cultural greeting” at the place where you work. Generally, it leads to have moralistic depiction of your personality and a humanistic respect of you surrounding people.

2: Keep a smiling face as a key to unlock friendship, compare notes and talk together.

3: Remember the name, academic history of your colleagues, especially if you are in research group at a university, get know-how of their projects and goals.

4: Always be sharp, in time to the office or laboratory but flexible to leaving…

5: Be precise in dealing, money, and “paper-matters”. Documentation should be in an order to access systematically and symmetrically.

6: Always share precious time of “coffee break” as in Germany, or Tee break in UK…or lunch times… these are the times when people of different backgrounds, diverse project round the table and you get a possibility to converse your views, listen their specialties, success stories, international cultural events in your country, religion or special foods stuff… even if you are lucky and still single can also come across your suitable life partner!

7: Be active in social events of your working place. Interaction and participation in Get together is as vital as your report. Anyhow you get experiences of different matters of working social life.

8: If there is more than one colleague in your office, be friendly, and be judging when they need your suggestion in their matters. Do not poke every time your nose in their matters even it is interesting to you. This also depends on if you are male or female. But it is always better and respectful when they ask your opinion, you should impart your honest suggestion.

Well, personally I am not in favor of celebrating birthdays at your working place but as seen in some advanced countries, some people like to! But it depends upon the type and condition plus the working style of your company. Well, you have to decide yourself but events like inauguration ceremonies etc… are worthy to rejoice fully.

9: Build a strong communication line with your boss and the leader of your company in terms of your working reports and update of your project status. If you are the leader of the special department then leave the door open for everyone at anytime to “come and ask”. The feelings of “master-slave” relation are sometimes critical. It is always superior compromising the situations with “give and take” strategy.

As seen, many times there starts grouping and “mobbing” in the business and even in university research institutes. Well, it is true that there could be some “difference” in personal view points but everyone should keep in mind the Ethics and collective aim of the company, the university or the general body of the group…

10: If you are the head of you department where about 100 or more people work in your supervision, especially with different nationalities and cultural background, you should take care of not only the basic cultural demands but also sometimes come to their levels and special religious events, interfaith too.

11: The confidence in helping the colleagues in all kinds of their problems.

12: Least but not the last, I would like to secure my PC before I leave my office even for 5 minutes, lock perfectly your confidential documents of special projects and make password protected folders.

Mr. MALIK graduated with distinction from the University of Punjab (Pakistan) in 2001. For further education he went to Germany and secured M.Sc. thesis from the University of Stuttgart (Germany) in 2003. Now he is striving for his Ph.D. in Physics. His interests are Microelectronic Device Fabrication. Organic semiconductors, Diffusion barrier layers. Inorganic Coatings, Plasma CVD.

To know different cultures, learn other languages, discuss closely related religions, life styles and English, Arabic calligraphy are some of the extra curricular activities which are a significant part of his life.

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Tags:ethics, code, conduct, business, behaviour

Senator Christopher Dodd is Senator from Connecticut and the Chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee. Christopher Dodd is currently involved in the scandal involving the bonus payouts to the executives of AIG. Christopher Dodd has been mired in controversy since the summer of 2008 when it came to light that he received two under market sweetheart loans from Countrywide due to his relationship with then CEO Angelo Mizilo. The involvement off Christopher Dodd in the AIG bonus debacle is something that will dwarf his sweetheart loans from Countrywide.

This week the taxpayers of the United States were outraged to learn that executives of failed insurer AIG were going to get bonuses of $165 million dollars, in addition to the.

$1.2 billion that have already been doled out by the Federal Government. Is it a coincidence that Christopher Dodd is the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and his job is oversight of the Banking Industry? The following two paragraphs are a snapshot of what kind of government represents you and how they are wasting your hard earned tax money:

“For a while, the disappearance of an executive bonus restriction from last month’s economic stimulus looked like sleight of hand worthy of a Las Vegas stage. No one could explain how the provision faded into thin air. On Wednesday, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., acknowledged that his staff agreed to dilute the executive pay provision that would have applied retroactively to recipients of federal aid.” However, Dodd said he was not aware of any American International Group Inc. bonuses at the time the change was made.he provision was the subject of new attention this week because, had it survived, it would have prevented AIG from granting $165 million in bonuses to employees of its financial products division.”

“Over the years, Dodd has been the top recipient of campaign contributions from AIG employees. During 2007-2008, when he ran for president, he received nearly $104,000 from AIG employees and their families, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that monitors money in politics.”

-Source: Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnenn, from article titled “Dodd: Administration sought bonus limit revision.” Dated March 19,2009.

This is your government at work for you. In this climate of waste, greed, and lust for power at any cost you have to take action to protect your interests. If you are a struggling homeowner, or someone who feels that they have been taken advantage of by a Mortgage Broker, Bank, or Lender please give me a call. I will be happy to discuss all your options. If you have a loan and did not provide any income documents to your Broker there is an 85% chance that your loan contains some sort of actionable fraud that can be used to your benefit. There are Federal and State Laws that were designed to protect you from deceptive lending practices. While Christopher Dodd evades tough questions about his involvement in the AIG scandal you certainly will find a solution to your situation, whatever that may be.

Will the New Laws work for you?
For Your FREE REPORT Visit this site

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Stefan Dessalines – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tags: ethical, person, personality, behaviour, ethics

In the past ten years, the soul, or lack thereof, of Corporate America has been revealed in many ways. Unethical and even illegal practices have been revealed by questionable accounting practices, poor investing advice, and undeserved bonuses being handed out in good ole boys fashion. But perhaps, there is no more vivid picture of Corporate America’s soul than the plethora of television ads that celebrate situational ethics and outright deceit to champion their products. With such constant indoctrination into unethical behavior, is there any wonder that we find ourselves in economic upheaval? Are we surprised to find entrepreneurs and executives bilking our companies and customers for large fees and exorbitant favors while at the same time shirking their fiduciary responsibility to work in favor of the shareholders and stakeholders?

Here is just a small portion of the companies from Corporate America whose ads teach our citizens and children that lying and or using unethical behavior to get what you want is okay:

A Popular Home Improvement Company

The scene opens with a female employee of a rival home furnishings store standing around waiting for customers to come in the empty showroom. Suddenly, she decides to go on an early break and tells her co-worker she will be right back. As she exits the store, she sheds her employee vest and runs across the street to Lowe’s where she buys a lamp for less than what she can buy at her own store. When she arrives back to her place of work, she goes to her car to stash her purchase. At the same time, her co-worker sees the box in her car and asks what she bought at Lowe’s. She lies and says she purchased some kind of hardware.

A Popular Sub Sandwich Firm

Like the ad mentioned above, an employee of a sandwich shop orders a sub from one of the most popular sub companies and has it delivered to his shop while he is still on duty. He meets the delivery boy at the door. In order to quell the suspicions of his co-workers, he berates the driver at the top of his lungs for delivering the sandwich to the wrong location. Subsequently, he slips the driver a five spot and asks him to set the sub down at the back door.

A Hip New Buffalo Wing Company

In one ad, customers are enjoying their favorite hot wings while watching March Madness basketball games. One customer says I wish we could continue this all night and motions to the bartender to do something about it. The bartender says no problem, opens up a hit control panel behind the bar and signals a cameraman to interfere with the end of the game. Using a very bright flash bulb, the cameraman shoots a photo of a man breaking away for the winning basketball who is blinded by the light. The player trips and falls and the game is sent into overtime.

A Burger Chain Trying to be Hip

This company takes the cake. This champion of the six dollar burger has used every ploy in the book including sex appeal and irresponsible behavior to seduce people into their stores. In the newest ad they celebrate a surgeon who before entering the OR to cut open his next patient chooses to steady himself with a shot of hard liquor. Well not really…it’s a bourbon burger. Even so, the ad is completely irresponsible in that it seems to say that sipping from a shot glass is a good way to prepare for a day at work.

These are just four examples of the many television ads that promote unethical and illegal behavior in order to satisfy one’s needs. They are a revealing picture of the soul of Corporate America. These ads teach the general public including our children that lying and cheating is acceptable behavior in order to get what you want. When our children grow up to be leaders, they adopt this same mentality, after all business is business, and take it into the office and boardroom. In the end, it seems people do get the leaders they deserve. If we want upstanding citizens running our companies and handling our finances, we need to stop using ads that teach otherwise and use positive ads that celebrate honesty and integrity in all aspects of life including business.

Eric Coggins has an MBA in Global Management and has lived and worked abroad in Cambodia. Beyond that, he has had extensive interaction with members of many different ethnic backgrounds including African-American, Latin American, Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Australian and European. His mission is to promote the best possible life for all everywhere in the world and to help them reach their God-given potential.

Are you living up to your God-given potential? If not, Eric has written an ebook called The Best You: Foundational Principles for an Effective Life. If you want to develop your God-given capacity, you can find out more about the ebook at this site or visit his website

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Tags: ethical, unethical, conduct, behaviour, moral

A strange title and linking of terms in an article providing information on workplace bullying! But it’s not as strange as you might at first imagine. Abortion is the deliberate destruction of another human life for purely personal reasons; so also is workplace bullying. It is traumatic, guilt-laden, shameful and destructive.

This metaphor may be used to explain what happens when someone is bullied at work. Abortion is usually what is done to those in organisations who become surplus to requirements because the management no longer views them as useful or convenient for them. Through all kinds of machinations, the target’s ‘fetal’ existence within the organisation becomes an embarrassment to the firm, an embarrassment that it does not wish to talk about, except in hushed tones; targets are in danger of infecting the whole, and causing disease in the entire body. Therefore they have to be aborted, and disposed of quietly.

The means of aborting an unwanted employee is immaterial – but it is essentially emotionally and psychologically violent, and sometimes physically violent, and always results in the unceremonial removal of the victim from the organisation at any cost and by any means.

Indeed, the establishment will use colleagues within the firm, in Stalin’s unforgettable but often quite accurate phrase, as “useful idiots,” to do their bidding. Whether they perceived this or not is an open question; indeed, whether they possessed the discernment that one would expect, one cannot say. But the fact is, they were used to doing what management had planned, and executed their devilish plans.

It is quite enlightening and interesting that within a relatively short time of an essential workplace ‘abortion’ having taken place, more senior players are likely to be promoted to even more senior positions. The establishment always rewards its most faithful servants! Senior management will look after the best interests of those who serve it well.

Understanding workplace bullying in this way very often opens up a means of thinking and analysis that is productive of good results and outcomes. This does not imply that everything at work will return to normal, but it does suggest that other doors will open to you for future service.

Hazlett Lynch, Ph.D., is an academic who has researched this phenomenon and is pleased to offer the fruits of his research to a wider reading public. He would draw your attention to his website for further information on workplace bullying. This substantial downloadable ebook is instantly accessible, written in a popular style, and combines an academic base with personal experience. Six free bonuses are included to supplement the report. Please visit this site and give yourself the best chance to recover from the effects of this life-threatening behaviour.

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Tags: ethical, moral, behaviour, conduct, code