The Governor of Oregon resigned last week due to what was referred to as ”ethical lapses.”
This got me thinking as to what’s the difference between an ethical lapse and an ethical violation?
Could an ethical lapse be: a. Just a honest mistake in judgment?
b. A more emotion based decision?
c. A perception that the decision/issue is not that important to take
more seriously?
d. The catalyst to other so called “lapses?”
Could an ethical violation be: a. A deliberate choice to “break the law.?
b. A situation where consequences are not a key priority in
making a decision?
c. A “who will know” motivation?
d. A person’s values were not clear or even a consideration?
Regardless of how each is defined, how are the outcomes and consequences meted out? Are ethical lapses somewhat “excused,” consciously not dealt with, etc.? Is an ethical lapse less important than an ethical violation?
Should a lapse be ignored and a violation punished? If so, why and what would be the criteria?
It seems that a “lapse” isn’t that important and maybe should be lightly dealt with, if at all.
I wonder what the former Governor of Oregon thinks?
fbucaro
Like you, business ethics and ethical leadership expert, Frank Bucaro has seen the challenges and problems of corporate leadership, particularly over the past few years in regards to poor decision-making, SEC violations, and record breaking financial settlements in a number of different industries.
With over two decades of executive training, speaking, writing and with real life experiences, his view and approach to ethics in the workplace is uniquely different. He emphasizes that ethics is a moment-to-moment choice and has little to do with position, titles, personalities or education. Ethics is everybody’s responsibility from the top down.
His goal is to help organizations to:
a. Strengthen their ethics training initiatives in order to significantly decrease the odds of an ethical/compliance violation.
b. Energize, train and motivate employees to understand the value of consistent “high road” behavior as a business advantage.
c. Support individuals and thereby the organization by contributing to its success by quality, ongoing values based leadership development.
Frank is known for his very practical, slightly irreverent, yet somewhat humorous approach to ethics and leadership development. His conversational style and real life stories connect with his audience in a personal, intense and practical level.
Companies such as Bayer Healthcare, BP, ReMax International, EnMax Energy, Danone, etc. have partnered with Frank when they want to proactively stress the message, tools, insights and practical applications that good ethics IS good for business!
