From Publishers Weekly
Examining the headline-making moral lapses at Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, World Com and other less-than-ethical business locales in the light of numerous psychological experiments, clinical psychologist Hoyk and professor Hersey illustrate in 45 breezy but beneficial lessons how we all face and fall victim to "day-to-day ethical traps." Divided into three types, the first batch are "Primary Traps" that can "provoke us or trick us into illegal or unethical transgressions"; trap number one, "obedience to authority," is illustrated by the WorldCom controller who obeyed his CFO's order to hide $800 million in expenses, and Stanley Milgram's famous 1960 experiment in which student volunteers were told to administer seemingly dangerous electrical shocks to others. Next are "Defensive Traps," which allow us to "sidestep our guilt and shame," like "contempt for the victim" (Salomon Brothers traders treating customers like moving targets) and "self serving bias" (Ford and Firestone blaming each other for tire safety issues). Third is "Personality Traps," the ways we increase our vulnerability: "low self esteem," "need for closure," too much or too little empathy. As the authors note, "good intentions are not enough," and this guide provides a useful, easy-to-read antidote for our unwitting corruptibility.
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Review
"Examining the headline-making moral lapses at Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, World Com and other less-than-ethical business locales in the light of numerous psychological experiments, clinical psychologist Hoyk and professor Hersey illustrate in 45 breezy but beneficial lessons how we all face and fall victim to "day-to-day ethical traps. ...As the authors note, "[g]ood intentions are not enough," and this guide provides a useful, easy-to-read antidote for our unwitting corruptibility." —Publishers Weekly
"This book will not teach you how to be ethical, it will educate you to recognize the day-to-day ethical traps that we all face, analyze them and give the practical, usable information you need to respond in a way that supports good intention, fair decisions and abundant wealth. Whether you're a CEO, a lay person, an executive or a manager, knowledge of the traps described in this book will give you chance after chance to make substantial deposits in your self-esteem bank account." —From the Preface by Anthony Parinello, Author, Think & Sell Like A CEO
"The Ethical Executive is a must read for everyone. This book is clearly not just for managers or leaders, but should be read by all so as to avoid the traps that are pointed out in the text. The Ethical Executive can give individuals the experience of coping with ethical dilemmas before they arise. The book is clear and practical, and hence a quick read. It will save readers a lot of grief they could face in the future by knowing how to avoid ethical traps." —Randolph A. Pohlman, Ph.D., Dean, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University
"If you rate yourself as more ethical than your colleagues, are you more likely than they are to act ethically in a real-world situation? To find the answer to this and many other interesting facts about ethical behavior, read this book. It is a delightful compendium of those impulses that lead perfectly good people to choose seemingly safe paths of no return—and a guide to avoiding the first steps on a potentially disastrous journey." —Leslie S. Greenberg, Professor, Department of Psychology, York University
"If money is your only goal and that end justifies your means, dont buy this book. If personal character, ethical choices and self respect are integral aspects of your understanding of success, buy it. Dr. Hoyk and Dr. Hersey have gathered accessible wisdom to help you untangle the ethical knots of your job. They write to guide, encourage and help you in your choice to be true to the highest you know and aspire to."—Reverend Dr. H. William Gregory, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Southern Maine
