http://ethicscrisis.com/ B.L. Ochman's Ethics Blog: What's the most unethical thing you ever did in business? Confess, anonymously. We'll rate how bad you were. en Copyright 2011 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:41:09 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss What's the most unethical thing you ever did in business? Confess your Ethics Crisis - ANONYMOUSLY - confess by telling us the most unethical thing you've ever done in business. Readers will to comment on and rate the confessions of others on a scale of one to 10 from "always acceptable" to "never acceptable." http://ethicscrisis.com/2011/03/about_ethics_crisis.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2011/03/about_ethics_crisis.php About Ethics Crisis Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:41:09 -0500 I used to work for a sub-prime lender. I would look the other way while our LOs and managers would falsify documents, create them from scratch (including W2s), and lie on loan applications. We did a lot of good for some people (self-employed people, especially), but we really screwed a lot of others. Particularly the people in fixed-rate loans that were desperate for cash; we'd take them from a 6.25% fixed, to a 8.75% ARM w/2 points. I'm really glad to have left that industry (and banking in general), but in light of the current economic crisis I always feel a little guilty.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/11/we_gave_mortgages_to_people_who_couldnt_pay.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/11/we_gave_mortgages_to_people_who_couldnt_pay.php Confessions Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:51:44 -0500 I anonymously made allegations through the business practices anonymous 800 # that my boss was hiring vendors based on favors. He was investigated and consequently fired even though none of the allegations were proved. I was promoted to his position after he was fired.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/08/i_set_up_my_boss_so_i_could_have_his_job.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/08/i_set_up_my_boss_so_i_could_have_his_job.php Confessions Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:12:56 -0500 In an effort to obtain business from an existing client I claimed we were working with several clients (6) in the same industry. One of the clients I listed is not currently a client but one we have spoken with for two years now. Turns out the person I am selling to knows the CEO of the company I'm talking to. I realize I misrepresented the truth. I lied.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/04/i_lied_to_get_new_business.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2008/04/i_lied_to_get_new_business.php Confessions Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:49:26 -0500 I had received an e-mail from an account manager whom I loathed for her inability to do her job correctly, even at the most simple level. After receiving this ridiculous e-mail from her, I wanted to send it to a peer of mine whom I had vented to to witness firsthand just how bad she really was. I flamed intensely on the forward, and then sent it off -- only to realize that I had REPLIED to the e-mail, not forwarded it.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/02/clueless.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/02/clueless.php Confessions Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:58:42 -0500 I got an email attachment at work that had information about salaries in my department that I knew was proprietary. But I was up for a raise, so I printed it out and then deleted it from my email. Otherwise, it would be backed up that night if left online and then other people in my department would have access to information that gave me a wage negotiating advantage.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/01/if_its_not_there_it_didnt_happen_right.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/01/if_its_not_there_it_didnt_happen_right.php Confessions Sat, 13 Jan 2007 18:19:44 -0500 via NoisyRoom.net... http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/01/ethics_light.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2007/01/ethics_light.php Ethics_Issues_News Sat, 13 Jan 2007 17:29:19 -0500 Sadly, while more people seem to be talking about ethics, there is precious little sign that any of the talk is turning into action, says Leon Ho at Lifehacks.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/ethics_schmethics.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/ethics_schmethics.php Corporate Ethics Mon, 04 Dec 2006 18:45:03 -0500 Jeff Swartz, CEO of Timberland, says corporations need to take the lead rather than waiting for the government to legislate social responsibility. “Jeff could have inherited an ice-making company or a coffee house and he’d still have wanted to see how it could be used for a broader social purpose,” said Dave Aznavorian, Timberland’s global brand manager. Schwarz acknowledges that he also needs to deliver results to shareholders. He says that changes in fashion have led to a downturn in Timberland sales that could result in selling the company. He says he'd give up control for more power, but that he'd never sell and walk away like Ben & Jerry's owners did. They sold the company and went home,” said Swartz. Swartz would have to be carried out with his [Timberland] boots on.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/corporations_not_government_need_to_take_the_lead_on_social_responsibility.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/corporations_not_government_need_to_take_the_lead_on_social_responsibility.php Corporate Ethics Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:50:20 -0500 Cheating on an ethics exam? It sounds like the setup for a joke. But a group of grad students at Columbia University's journalism school are suspected of having done just that, according to the blog, Radar Online Hey, at least the New York Times credited Radar Online as its source. Now that's pretty ethical.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/students_accused_of_cheating_on_ethics_exam.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/12/students_accused_of_cheating_on_ethics_exam.php Ethics News Articles Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:06:09 -0500 I've always wondered what you would need to teach honest people about ethics, and whether any code could make dishonest people more honest. http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/are_corporate_ethics_codes_bunk.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/are_corporate_ethics_codes_bunk.php Corporate Ethics Sat, 28 Oct 2006 20:54:36 -0500 Corporate ethics crises have turned corporate responsibility into a big business. It's got its own conference, and a directory of companies that provide services to corporate responsibility officers. The first annual conference for Corporate Responsibility Officers will take place in New York City on November 1. Featured speakers include: Vice Chair of Citigroup Lewis Kaden, Wall Street Journal Assistant Managing Editor Alan Murray, Bloomberg News Editor Marty Schenker, Def Jam Records and Comedy and Phat Farm Fashions founder Russell Simmons, and 20 other Corporate Responsibility officers telling their success stories.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/corporate_responsibility_spurns_new_businesses_and_conferences.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/corporate_responsibility_spurns_new_businesses_and_conferences.php Corporate Ethics Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:37:05 -0500 Wagner James Au, publisher of Second World Notes, the Second Life newspaper, is making a "my willy nilly effort to come up with a workable ethics for reporting in the metaverse." He questions whether reporting on recent grid attacks that have brought down the world gives the attackers an award by giving them publicity. He writes: "Attentive readers may be inclined to see parallels to conundrums from real world journalism-- for example, when the media gives prominent coverage to a minor terrorist attack, are they just reporting the news, or unintentionally becoming an abettor after the fact, while unnecessarily alarming the public?"... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/the_ethics_of_metaverse_journalism.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/the_ethics_of_metaverse_journalism.php Ethics_Issues_News Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:02:46 -0500 In a troubling omen for the upcoming midterm elections, a new poll on ethics released today indicates that the public for the first time ranks congressmen lower than pirates, says The Borowitz Report. The poll, conducted by the University of Minnesota's Opinion Research Institute, asked likely voters to rate one hundred different professions according to their ethics. Congressmen, near the bottom of the list, bested only crack dealers and lawyers. "Over and over again, pirates received higher marks than congressmen in this survey," said Crandall Pritchard, who supervised the poll for the University of Minnesota. "We heard comments like, 'Sure, pirates make people walk the plank and will slit their throats for a doubloon, but at least they would keep their hands off congressional pages." Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, under fire of late because of the congressional page scandal, said that the poll showing that pirates are more ethical than congressmen is mush ado about nothing: "I don't think this reflects the unpopularity of Congress so much as it reflects the surging popularity of pirates." popularity of pirates."... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/in_new_poll_on_ethics_public_ranks_congress_lower_than_pirates.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/in_new_poll_on_ethics_public_ranks_congress_lower_than_pirates.php Government Ethics Wed, 11 Oct 2006 11:14:56 -0500 After putting up with former boss' continuous temper tantrums and abusive attitude, I pretended to become a born again Christian to fully gain his trust. Then I volunteered to work late nights bringing the pricing spreadsheets up to date. I'd usually be alone and cram the trunk of my car full of expensive gear from the warehouse. A few weeks later one of the employees was busted for selling warehouse goods out the back door. When they audited, they found all the stuff I scammed, but blamed it on him instead. I got away with 10K worth of top end hardware. Boss deserved a lot worse after the crap I had to deal with.... http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/i_stole_blamed_someone_else_boss_deserved_it.php http://ethicscrisis.com/2006/10/i_stole_blamed_someone_else_boss_deserved_it.php Confessions Sun, 08 Oct 2006 14:33:06 -0500