Response to Fraudulent and Unethical Behavior

Response to Fraudulent and Unethical Behavior

1^st Colleague response

Many school districts experience fraudulent and unethical behavior, causing many financial issues that hinder schools and the district as a whole. A former school district, I have experience with experienced unethical economic behavior.

The principal is over the school’s budget and can disburse monies to budgets. They also have the power to place certain people in charge of departmental budgets and oversee them.

This particular principal became highly secretive with the budget and prevented department leaders from accessing the funding (s). A couple of employees challenged the principal about this because programs were mysteriously cut, coaching jobs were cut because there wasn’t enough money to pay assistant coaches, teacher supplies were no longer available, and the petty cash from clubs and sponsorship was depleted.

Unfortunately, these accounts had been used for personal use by the principal, and a couple of people challenged this and went to the school district. The principal had been using the funds for personal use and romantic gifts for the secretary.

As a leader (Principal), it’s essential to have your team (Assistant Principals) heavily involved in overseeing critical campus issues. Having checkpoints will help with keeping things transparent and honest. Furthermore, I would have asked to see the budget and completed an audit, and in the event I would have found discrepancies, I would have reported this to the financial manager (accountant). The best thing to do in situations like this is to handle it directly and quickly. The major problem is that kids suffer from programs that have been cut. It’s easy to detect what is happening because everyone can see what is happening in the building, and parents call to find out why certain things are unavailable.

Again, having the administration team involved with the budget helps with accountability. Also, to have department leads and finance manager involved as well. Having teacher representation to help with the school budget is also another way to help safeguard against unethical behavior. In a school environment, having things transparent is always best.

Reference

Fostering an ethical organization from the bottom up and the outside in July–August 2014 Megan F. Hess, Earnest Broughton

2^nd Colleague response

In my previous role as a Medicaid caseworker, superiors treated many employees unethically and poorly. This organization lacks integrity, so we adhere strongly to a code of ethics, implying trustworthiness and incorruptibility (Byars & Stanberry, 2018). Integrity in the workplace is vital to its success because it builds trust and loyalty with all stakeholders (customers, clients, employees, etc.). Superiors confidently showed favoritism, nitpicking, and micromanaging. Many employees barely make it past training or a year of employment due to the treatment and draining environment. I was employed for about ten months before resigning due to constant nitpicking. An environment that lacks integrity, respect, ethical behavior, etc., creates a depressing atmosphere. Every organization has rules and regulations, but the problem arises when some limitations don’t apply to specific individuals. When I finally addressed the issues professionally with my supervisor, she denied the nitpicking and favoritism as if I were the only one who noticed. It had gotten so bad they even would deliberately speak to a select few favorite employees and disregard others. When maybe two people left they liked, parties were thrown for them, but the rest of us got nothing. You could tell how unethical these superiors were. If you want employees to behave ethically, you must set an example. Accountability, honesty, and changed behavior can create a positive and stable environment.

As a manager, explain the steps you would have taken or did take to address the described unethical behavior. What methods or techniques could have been used to detect and mitigate the described situation?

As a manager, propose what actions you could take to help prevent unethical or fraudulent behavior in managerial.

As a manager, I would have been concerned about why an employee felt the way they felt. I would have apologized for making them feel that way because, realistically, you can’t decide how you made someone feel. You must listen, understand, reflect, respond, and take accountability. As a manager, you must be committed to your team and clients/customers to hold yourself accountable and trustworthy. From my experience, I love to feel heard and respected when I voice my concerns and feelings. As a manager, I would ensure my employees feel safe, comfortable, trusted, and valued to avoid unethical behaviors. Follow and lead employees by example to ensure company guidelines and policies are being met. Building a professional relationship with employees and customers allows honesty and vulnerability. To behave ethically and without fraud, you must analyze information and behavior closely and adequately.

Reference

Byars, S. M., & Stanberry, K. (2018). 1.1 being a professional of integrity. In Business Ethics. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/business–ethics/pages/1–1–being–a–professional–of–integrity

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Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a clarifying question about the described situation or the manager’s role.
• Relate one of your own professional experiences to that of your colleague’sHow did your situation impact you and the other employees involved?
• Propose one or more additional recommendations for how the manager in question might have improved their response to the situation or how they might better support a drama-free, positive work environment in the future.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned or any insights you gained due to your colleagues’ comments.