The Cost of Crossing the Ethical Line

THE COST OF CROSSING THE ETHICAL LINE

            There are two types of ethics; negative ethics and positive ethics. Negative ethics tells us what not to do and most companies do this within the employee handbook. For the creative employee they will look at the handbook and think “now I know what I cannot do, the rest must be ok.” It is ethics but in the least form of ethics. If you wanted to cover every possible behavior, you would need an employee handbook that consisted of hundreds of thousands of pages. Leaders will become law enforcement because every employee will need to be watched. The goal is positive ethics. Positive ethics gives us guidelines on what we should do and holds everyone accountable for their behavior. The price for unethical behavior and/or practices within American’s aerospace/aviation industries and the United States Armed Forces yield higher contract costs, fines levied against individuals involved and/or the corporations, and diminished personal and organizational reputation brought on by litigation. First, what is ethics?  What does it mean to be ethical?  My definition of ethical behavior is a moral conviction to do things correctly within the boundaries one’s own beliefs, values, and the rules/regulations which govern those particular acts being carried-out or performed.  Both the aerospace/aviation companies and the United States Armed Forces within the Department of Defense possess policies and procedures which outline ethical behavior within the work place and dealing with outside organizations.  Ethical standards and their expectations are given to each and every individual at the beginning of employment to reduce the cost of doing business incorrectly and fraud.  Let’s look some unethical behaviors and practices which cost the government and corporations.  

        The Department of Justice released an announcement pertaining to Boeing reaching a record settlement of six hundred fifteen million dollars with the U.S. to resolve allegations (both criminal and civil) that the company inappropriately used competitors’ information to secure government contracts (Department of Justice, 2006). The Boeing Company, through its former Chief Financial Officer Michael Sears, hired former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management, Darleen Druyun  (Department of Justice, 2006).  This act along wasn’t a breach of ethical behavior nor was it considered out of the norm; many defense contractors hire ex-patriots, military members, with an understanding the company is not to gain from proprietary or non-public information from the Armed Forces.  The majority of United States veterans are hired on as defense contractors in the civilian sector as valued employees which complement the companies’ dealing with the Department of Defense.  The breach of ethics accrued when the former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management inflated the price of the contracts to Boeing in exchange for a $250 thousand dollar a year executive position after retirement from active duty within the Boeing Company, in addition the former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary negotiated jobs for family members (Pope, 2004).  As a military veteran this unethical behavior is in direct contrast to the core values I have learned as a military member that are the foundation of military service:  Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage (US Army, 2014).  The loyalty to the nation was disregarded in this behavior due to the fact Darleen Druyun unethically increased the cost of contracts for personal gain which in-turned caused the nation’s tax payers to pay more.  Her duties as the former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management was to abide by the laws, regulations, and orders within the  Federal Acquisition Regulation; the primary regulation for acquisition of supplies and services with appropriated funds for the uses of the federal government.  She knowingly failed in this area during the negotiations with this aerospace giant.  In addition, Darleen Druyun lost respect due to her actions in the Boeing scandal as the top acquisition officer and one of the highest ranking women in the Armed Forces.  Also, the former Air Force Acquisition Officer failed in selfless service with not placing the wellbeing of the nation above her own aspirations; particularly in the fact of her then pending retirement to leave military service with distinction.  During the investigation and after the findings were received, her honor were placed in questioned due to not displaying a moral compass as a military officer and one of the most experienced acquisition officers. Another core value I learned during military service and believe all members should possess is integrity which I believe it’s doing the right thing when no one is looking.  The last core value I learned in the United States Army which would have perhaps prevented this ethical violation between the Armed Forces and this prominent aerospace company was personal courage; having the personal courage to uphold the duty and responsibilities of the position of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Management.  However, Darleen Druyun wasn’t the only individual whose ethical behavior was in question.  The former Chief Financial Officer, Michael Sears of Boeing business ethics placed the aerospace company in an uncompromising position.  His dealings in the scandal were the hiring an Air Force official and family members who had direct oversight and control the contract giving Boeing a competitive advantage over all other government contractors (Markon, 2004).  This advantage would place Boeing in a position to gain greatly financially and to pave a road to the corporation’s top executive positions for Michael Sears.  His misguided attempt for promotion put to test his ethical fortitude and clouded his moral standards as Boeing’s Chief Financial Officer.