MotorDoc Editorial on New Economy Ethics

At first I thought that maybe I was getting older and more relaxed so just was more sensitive to workforce and ethical issues. Then, nope, absolutely identified that issues exist.

We are still a few years off the beginning of the peak of the skilled trade crisis (2014-2016) which is also the time when the Baby Boom Echo (more than 1 million enter the workforce in the USA vs 75 million Baby Boomers) generation starts entering the job market. The result is a challenge finding qualified trades and craftsmen while also convincing a new generation that these are good jobs, no matter what the media, political leaders and schools say. I suppose recent history has raised concerns about the viability of these jobs. However, I would note that once things started turning around, the need for trades outweighed the need for middle management.

One of the most loudly voiced concerns was the need to train new skills. However, a slew of other concerns raised their heads and the transition started. Past generations seemed to have stronger business and personal ethics, not just work ethic, so it seems. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of ethical people in the industry just as there are young people with excellent work ethic. However, in the past few decades I had only a handful of instances where a client employee or someone from the industry approached me with an unethical request or suggestion. I suppose part of it is based upon my reputation as I have observed more ethical issues from a distance than I care to describe. Some disturbed me enough to write about in past newsletters (well, they all disturb me, just some more than others).

However, in the past year I have seen or been approached with more such issues than I have ever seen over the past few decades. In one case it was stated by a prospective customer that if we wanted to succeed like our competitor or the prospective customer’s company (“That is how we do business,” was literally one of the statements) that we would need to lie, cheat, steal and whatever else it took. I found the whole thing distasteful and disturbing, and worse, the person obviously didn’t understand it was an issue because the statement was made to multiple people! So, did the person not realize what they were saying was unethical? Or, is his company culture really like that? Now, how do we deal with that prospect – will doing business with them harm our reputation? Knowing that is how the competitor does business based upon this information (but no actual proof) – how should that be handled? Because ethics are ‘fluid’ is this the way business is being done with the newer generation? Does finding this disturbing make me too much of an idealist? (I tend to like to think people are honest, first).

I do know that once as a consultant I had someone approach me and state that if I wanted to keep my contract, I would have to do something for him personally. My reaction in that case was to report the offender and the company, and his union, acted quickly. In another case, when I reported the issue to management my contract was discontinued (which I had no problem with – no way I was going to work in that environment).

How would you approach this kind of situation?

Sincerely,
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP