Why managers bend company rules.

Most managers live by a personal code of conduct that includes certain principles about integrity, regard for others, and keeping commitments. They refrain from engaging in actions that might compromise their reputations, careers, or organizations; they comply with regulations and are law-abiding. Most also believe they are ethical, and that is precisely why, when confronted with situations that they believe compel them to bend company rules, they are decidedly torn. While playing by the rules is the principled thing to do, and many would say the safest too, many managers also feel a responsibility to challenge the rules, because the rules are not always infallible, and fairness to other parties may demand nothing less. To better understand the nature of these competing demands, we asked over 100 executives from The Executive's Advisory Panel to share their views with us about why managers bend the rules and what they risk in doing so. The stories they tell offer unique insights into these ethically precarious balancing acts. In presenting these observations we add two cautions. First, it may seem that we are saying that it's okay to bend rules. We are not, nor are the Advisory Panel members. Decisions to bend rules should never be taken lightly, and ethically responsible executives know that. Second, out of sensitivity to the issues involved, the executives who responded were specifically asked to share their general observations about the nature of rule bending in today's workplace. Hence, although these are their general observations, they in no way should be considered reflective of any Panel member's practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]