I am taking a cost accounting course this quarter. Here is a quote from the notes for that class. While I don’t understand why the quote and the comments that follow it are included in a course of cost accounting, I definitely do appreciate the message conveyed.
“Always do right. This will surprise some people and astonish the rest.”
- Mark Twain
Calling in sick when you’re feeling well. Taking a two-hour lunch. Fudging on your expense account. Filching office supplies. The temptation is always there – to beat the system, settle a score with the company, address a wrong, especially if you’ve worked overtime and feel they “owe you one”.: But if you step over that invisible boundary you’ve said to yourself, once again, that there are no limits, anything goes, whatever it takes to win.
In all likelihood, the company won’t notice minor transgressions. But if you compromise your standards in some small matter, it becomes sassier to do so on larger ones. Without ever making a conscious ethical decision, you can find yourself in a conflict of interest that could jeopardize your career. IT might be the revelation of confidential information in a job interview or moonlighting for a competitor or accepting gifts from suppliers. Whatever the case, no one steps over the line without smudging it first.
