Unethical Behaviour in the Workplace

Is it Bad Apples, Bad Cases or Bad Barrels?

A fascinating read on a topic close to my heart has been published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. 

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ethics/ethical-behaviour#gref

This summarises the research around unethical practices in the workplace, what causes it, and how to address or prevent it. the authors ask which of the following factors give rise to unethical actions"

1. 'Rotten apples’: to what extent is unethical behaviour the result of individual choices? 
2. ‘Bad barrels’: to what extent is it due to systemic, organisation or industry-wide problems, in particular organisational culture or ingrained norms of behaviour?
3. ‘Sticky situations’: to what extent is it due to the difficult or compromising nature of decisions that people face?

Highly recommended reading.

 

Ethics of in flight CPR

Interesting article in this weeks New England Journal. My anecdotal impression is that there is a disproportionate need for doctors on flights, usually for minor ailments but not unusually for major problems. This article describes this occurrence from an unusual perspective, that of a medical ethicist. www.nejm.org