December 2003
There has been considerable debate over the past several decades about the ethical standards of young professionals–what those standards are, where they might come from, how formal education programs or on the job training either bolsters or detracts from the ethical outlooks of young professionals. Several recent studies add a concerning note to this debate. One study conducted by Harvard researchers explored the aspirations of 100 promising young scientists, journalists and stage actors. They found that a number of their subjects said they were willing to compromise their values and cut corners ethically and professionally to advance their careers. Most interestingly, they also said they were willing to follow a strict code of values after they gained power and authority. Scary? So it would seem.
Another study conducted by the Ethics Resource Center which surveyed more than 1,500 American workers about misconduct in the workplace generally reported positive findings. At the same time, the study found that younger employees with low tenure were likely to report much less misconduct than older employees and felt considerably more pressure to compromise company ethics standards. Are younger workers likely to turn their heads (ignore) misconduct in the workplace (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) because they are swimming against or with the pressures to compromise?
These studies are certainly worrisome. They reinforce the need for all of us to champion the cause of “right” behavior and practice in our own lives and the lives of those who share our workplace, younger or older.
Sources: New York Times, “Bright, Eager and Willing to Cheat,” Sara Rimer, July 2, 2003, p. A18 and “Major Survey of America’s Workers Finds Substantial Improvements in Ethics,” Ethics Resources Center Press Release, May 21, 2003.