What is Ethical Lapse?

According to strategy &'s 2018 CEO Success Study, in 2018, there are more CEOs fired due to ethical lapses rather than financial problems or board struggles. This shows that ethical lapse has become more common in the workplace. An ethical lapse doesn't just happen on a large scale, but it can occur on a small scale, like browsing the internet at work or committing a sexual offense. But what is ethics, and how do we prevent committing an ethical lapse?

Ethics are accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethics is very important, especially in the workplace. Examples of ethics in the workplace are loyalty, comradery, integrity, responsibility, etc. An ethical lapse is making a choice you know is unethical. It is different from an ethical dilemma, where an ethical dilemma is a choice between two alternatives that may not be right or wrong.

An ethical lapse can be dishonesty to clients, such as telling them when information you know is wrong, like product specifications. As workers with integrity, we shouldn't make ethical lapses that can damage the organization's or our reputation.

For example, in this Scenario:

“You're a part of an interview panel for a unique and pivotal position in your organization and have reached a stage at which the final choice is between two candidates. Candidate 1 is from outside your organization, matching the essential criteria advertised, and is better qualified than Candidate 2. Candidate 2 is from within your organization and has been in the role of a temporary 'acting' employee and does not match the essential criteria being looked for. However, Candidate 2 has been very good during the 'acting' period.”

In this situation, we as the interviewer should choose candidate one as it would a more ethical choice than candidate 2. But why is choosing candidate 2 is an ethical lapse?

The above scenario stated that candidate 1 is more qualified than candidate 2 for this particular job. And it is also noted that candidate 1 matched all the essential criteria for the job. Although candidate 1 comes from outside of the organization, that doesn't mean candidate 1 is not qualified and will most probably do well for the job he/she applied for.

Choosing candidate two is making an ethical lapse because he/she is not qualified and does not match the essential criteria for the job. Although candidate 2 is from our organization and has done well during their "acting" period, he/she is probably not compatible with the job.

As an interviewer, we should be neutral and objective in choosing someone, especially for a pivotal position in an organization. And we should always be ethical and not be biassed or influenced by other factors.

Not only as an interviewer, everyone in a working environment must possess good ethical behavior. An ethical working environment will benefit the organization, such as increased productivity, good teamwork, an excellent public image and brand value, a trouble-free working environment, fewer legal issues, and many more.

In conclusion, we should always be ethical and avoid making ethical lapses for a better working environment.

Author: Niken K.

Source:

Bovee, C.L. and Thill, J.V. 2018. Business Communication Today (13th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.

PricewaterhouseCoopers. (n.d.). CEO Success study. PwC. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/gx/en/insights/ceo-success.html

Reddy C. (2016, May 17). Ethics in the Workplace: Top 10 Benefits and Importance. Retrieved from https://content.wisestep.com/importance-benefits-ethics-workplace/.

The Balance Careers. (2020, October 6). Surprising Examples of Lapses in Workplace Ethics. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/did-you-bring-your-ethics-to-work-today-1917741