The Ethics Revolution

Excerpt:
This piece [creating an organizational culture that encourages ethics] is the hardest for firms to grasp, and the most important. Most are "just going through the motions," says David Gebler, founder of Working Values, a 10-year-old ethics consulting firm in Sharon, Mass. "Companies think they can just throw together a program with a code and courses," But the old computer adage applies, he says, "garbage in, garbage out."

Gebler says companies need a willingness to look at the culture that allows or even encourages unethical behavior. "Most unethical behavior is not done for personal gain, it's done to meet performance goals," Gebler emphasizes. It's done to benefit the company. And it stems from too aggressive financial goals, aggravated by poor communication and culture that doesn't tolerate falling short."

The story is from the Summer 2005 issue of Business Ethics.