Making sure a lucrative contract lands in the hands of a friend or family member, keeping your prices ‘competitive’ despite knowing your product is of cheaper quality, and letting a certain employee get away with whatever they want because they are related to someone in upper management …

It doesn’t sound too bad, but what will happen to your organisation’s bottom line when other employees are not afforded the same benefits/advantages? Taking shortcuts and taking unfair advantage of circumstances in business will affect staff morale negatively. And when staff morale is low there will be a decline in quality output.

This kind of unethical behaviour has a price but doing what’s right in business has a massive positive impact on your organisation, your business reputation, and financial sustainability.

Ethics is all about being accountable for decisions and holding others to the same standard. It is both a personal and organisational habit that stems the flow of unethical behaviour in its tracks and prevents unnecessary costs, including reputational damage.