Analyze the influence of corporate culture, including leadership, power, and motivation, on business ethics in the workplace.

Journal
Think about a company you have worked for, either currently or in the past. Reflect upon the corporate culture with respect to the practice of ethics within the organization. What was leadership's role in establishing this culture within the organization? How did power and motivation relate to the degree of ethical conduct?
In Unit VI, you will learn that the race to achieve wealth, prosperity, and physical goods push some people towards unethical behaviors. Even in companies where personal greed is minimized, the pressure within a results-driven organization to perform to the standards of stockholders drives some people to take short-cuts and illicit opportunities. Some people do not realize that this is wrong. There is a name for this type of mental illness called “hubris syndrome”. Some people would recognize the traits of this sickness by other descriptions such as exaggerated pride, overwhelming self-confidence and contempt for others.
Hubris syndrome has been studied and there are specific symptoms that when clustered together, are indicative of this syndrome. For example, people with this syndrome see their world as an arena in which to exercise power and seek glory at the expense of others. Image and achievement are paramount. One unique symptom is a tendency to speak in the third person or use the royal “we”. It can be said that people with this syndrome have lost contact with reality while others see their actions as reckless and impulsiveness. There is a tendency for these people to rise through the ranks as they are risk takers and quite often their efforts are successful for which they are promoted to higher levels of responsibility.
One purpose of this particular assignment is to shed light on this type of behavior. Ethical decision-making is non-existent in people with hubris syndrome. So what can be done to minimize the impact to the organization? It goes without saying that each organization should take heed to minimize the motivation and opportunity for unethical outcomes.
The Godfather, originally released in 1972, is one of the most highly regarded films of all time. The producer based the story on the very powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone. As each generation grew up within this high-ranking crime mob family, there followed a series of infidelities, domestic violence, and blatant executions of anyone who did not line up with the philosophies of the family and “the business.” Through these unscrupulous dealings, power, money, and influence played a significant role in the decision making. Don’s youngest son, Michael, attempted to remove himself from what Michael considered the family’s unethical behaviors. Michael married a woman outside of the mob world who eventually the mob gunned down. Through a series of family power struggles and influences, Michael eventually, and reluctantly, moved back into the family business, demonstrating equally unethical behaviors.
The Godfather continues with a series of brutal scenes of execution and one uUnNetIhTicxaSl dTeUcDisYioGnUaIfDteEr another, all driven by power and money. Although the plot line seems incredulous to the average movie viewer, one
has to remember the culture within the family business grew so strong that it did not consider these behaviors unethical, but instead, the behaviors were considered as a part of everyday business dealings.
The Enron story represents a real-life example of how a culture within an organization can grow so powerful. This story is about a group of executives who continuously made unethical decisions related to extortion, bribery, and financial irregularities. Business people considered the executive team at Enron to have some of the most intelligent minds in the world. The question contemplated is how so many brilliant minds get influenced to act in such an unethical manner. The answer lies in the example of The Godfather film, with the establishment of a strong unethical culture within the entire organization. Incredible pressures supported this culture. In Enron’s case, the government prosecuted many people from the executive team who later served jail time.
Greed is another component of unethical financial dealings. The race to achieve wealth, prosperity, and physical goods pushes some people toward unethical behaviors. In many circles, people consider maintaining a certain standard of living important. Family responsibilities and obligations are yet another pressure faced by individuals. The Godfather drama demonstrates a significant amount of greed throughout the entire film.
Beyond greed, the health of an organization revolves around shareholder interests. By virtue of the definition of a shareholder, earning profits and receiving a favorable return on investment are the basis for shareholder interests. This group represents a significant pressure to leaders within a results-driven organization to perform to the standards of stockholders.
In spite of these pressures, organizations have taken significant strides toward maintaining an ethically sound financial decision-making environment. Although satisfying the interests of stockholders and all stakeholders is important, sound ethical practices is the protocol at this time in history. Consumers look to conduct business with organizations not practicing unscrupulous financial dealings.
Reading Assignment
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