Ethics Bad Apple or Bad Barrel

Executive Summary

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were cast out from the Garden of Eden for partaking of the fruit of tree of life – Original Sin. In so doing, they destined mankind to be eternally band from the Garden. The question: Was Adam just a bad person for eating the fruit or was he coerced by Eve, who had already partaken, the serpent, which was surely vile, and the surrounding circumstances of the beautiful garden, to do the vile deed, from which mankind would be eternally damned? Was this a circumstance of Adam being a "bad apple" or were Adam's actions resulting from the surrounding circumstances of Eve and the serpent, the "bad barrel?"

In modern business there are both bad people (bad apples) and bad environment and circumstances (bad barrels). We continue to search for ‘cause and effect' relationships. Was Ivan Boesky evil or was it just the times that allowed him to commit insider trading? Was Ken Lay evil as he placed Enron in harm's way or was it the times when a large number of CEO's and companies were reaping the huge financial rewards of questionable ethics?

In this paper we discuss the moral parameters of the "bad apple"/"bad barrel" debate. The reader is provided situations both inside of and outside of business where this dilemma exists. We then ask the reader to decide for themselves: "Are there people who are just bad or can basically good, moral, upstanding people be coerced into doing evil?"

Although we focus our attention on the business circumstances of the early 2000's, when corporate failures became "normal place", we believe the situations surrounding such modern day events as the failure in mortgaged backed securities are conflicted by the same moral issues. Who and what caused the world-wide economic collapse? Who and what are responsible? What are the moral and ethical issues?

Finally, we provide the reader with a glimpse into how they can tell if they are, in fact, moral by testing and comparing themselves with others. We also provide insight into what you need to look for in a company or organization to assure you do not get coerced by the ‘bad apples."

Morals and ethics are a man-made phenomenon. Therefore, they, like people, are as diverse and confusing as the number of people they represent. Some will always look to the person as being actually evil, while others will always attempt to explain away the person and replace it with the circumstances. This, like debates over religion and politics, can ever be won.

"Why let one bad apple

Spoil the whole damn bunch

Boy!! "

Guns and Roses 1991

RESEARCH

"Evil