As you read the following based on true experiences, please consider:
What does the action the person took say about their integrity?
What priorities are at stake here?
What other options are on the table?
“Me and my team were working on an extensive presentation that, if successful, would give us the okay to move on our project. While creating the presentation, it became apparent that the numbers could be played with in a way that would convince the audience to say yes. Rather than doing this, I decided to display the numbers in both ways, one positive perspective, and one negative. I gave them the info straight, and let them decide. We ended up getting the project."
“I recently resigned after working for a company for two years. The CEO was consistently making misrepresentations to key clients. I decided to confront him about the problem, but he never changed. “
“Our firm routinely administers performance assessments to us. As manager, I have to evaluate my subordinates. One of them was a good friend of mine, but was underperforming. I gave her a bad rating and in the end she was fired.”
“I used to work as a sales manager for a company that exported to Mexico. A particular product was banned there, but with a small bribe we could get our products flowing. Some of my colleagues pressured me to bribe the officials, but I decided against it.”
“The manager of our division accepted proposals from various vendors. Rather than being unbiased to the different options, I noticed he was giving special attention to one of them, who was taking him out to expensive lunches and golf matches. I even overheard him telling the potential vender exactly how and what to write on the proposal. No one else in the office seemed to be bothered about the issue. When it became too much for me, I decided to ask for a relocation out of the division.”
“Recently we expanded into a new business we thought we could take a lot of market share in. We were right, and one of our competitors felt a little too threatened. They accused my boss of unethical and illegal activities. The boss I know has always been kind and honest. I guess it could be possible that something illegal or unethical did happen in his past, but I definitely didn’t see any of it. I defended him the best I could.”
"I was approached by research analysts that wanted me to put a backdate in ratings in the ratings database. I knew they wanted this done because it would increase their compensation. Some of the analysts had the documentation to support the request and some didn’t. I decided to create a policy that would ensure that no backdates happen without the proper documentation.”
“In my last job, I contributed a central part of a several month long analysis. During the revising stage, one of my colleagues contributed another piece which became even more important than mine. I then decided that I could not take credit for the paper, so I talked to the main author and asked that my name be moved below my colleague who deserved the merit.”
“I won’t say which, but I work for a company with strong stock on the NYSE. Sometimes I know when the stock is going to go up or down. One close friend has a problem with bothering me for inside information. She says she won’t tell anyone about it and no one would ever know. I told her I would never give any information under any circumstance.”
“My manager wanted me to make a statement to the President of our company which would give our department more funding. He supplied me with supporting data. After checking the statement and the data, I decided it wasn’t correct. Before refusing my manager, I worked an entire night to get the numbers right and to show that the statement was wrong. After I approached my manager and refused him with the proof. He admitted he falsified it to get the funding.”