Harvard professor Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr. interviewed 30 graduates of Harvard’s MBA program. These young managers were “dubious” about ethics codes and programs, explaining that the values contained in them “seemed inconsistent with ‘what the company was about.’” Here, Badaracco summarizes what he learned:

First, in many cases [they] received explicit instructions from their middle-manager bosses or felt strong pressures to do things they believed were sleazy, unethical, or sometimes illegal. Second, corporate ethics programs, codes of conduct, mission statements, hotlines, and the like provided little help.

Third, many of the[m] believed that their company’s executives were out of touch on ethical issues, either because they were too busy or because they sought to avoid responsibility. Fourth, the[y]

resolved the dilemmas they faced largely on the basis of personal reflection and individual values, not through reliance on corporate credos, company loyalty, [or] the exhortations of senior executives.

Badaracco’s interview subjects, who worked in banking, consulting, accounting, and advertising, came to believe they had to respond to the following “powerful organizational commandments:”

First, performance is what really counts, so make your numbers. Second, be loyal and show us you’re a team player. Third, don’t break the law. Fourth, don’t over-invest in ethical behavior.30 What do these findings suggest about the role of whistleblowers inside large corporations?

Look back at the recent statistics about whistleblowing on p. 47. Do you see any items that seem to support these findings? That appear to challenge them?