1. Identify the organization’s role models and heroes. What values do they represent?
What advice do mentors give?
2. What informal socialization processes exist, and what norms for ethical/unethical
behavior do they promote? Are these different for different organizational
subgroups?
3. What are some important organizational rituals? How do they encourage or
discourage ethical behavior? Who gets the awards—people of integrity who are
successful, or individuals who use unethical methods to attain success?
4. What are the messages sent by organizational stories and myths? Do they reveal
individuals who stand up for what’s right despite pressure, or is conformity the
valued characteristic? Do people get fired or promoted in these stories?
5. Does acceptable language exist for discussing ethical concerns? Is ‘‘ethics talk’’ part
of the daily conversation?
