Unethical Actions of Employees Added to a Database?

To improve the reputation of financial firms in light of recent scandals, bankers are discussing the creation of a database to keep track of ethical lapses that violate business codes ("Wall Street Mulls Naughty List for Ethically Challenged Bankers," Bloomberg Business, December 22, 2015). This list would be available only to banking-related companies that are regulated by federal agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve System (Fed) in their quest to screen job applicants. A few issues about this new plan have yet to be decided, but this system is supposed to provide employees with the right to challenge false information in their profile.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think an unethical employee database is a good idea that other companies beyond banking should develop? Why or why not?
2. Would you be less likely to engage in unethical behavior that's not necessarily illegal, if you knew your name and misdeed may be added to a database that can be searched by prospective employers? Why or why not?
3. This plan mentions that employees could dispute errors in the database but doesn't say how erroneous information would be removed from the database. Do you think it would be commonplace for employers with a grudge against an employee to add misinformation to a worker's profile? Why or why not?

Employee Qualities Desired by IT Management

Computerworld magazine from November 10, 2008 cites ethics and morals as the top traits sought by information technology leaders based on an online survey by the Society for Information Management-SIM ("SIM Survey: Ethics, Morals Top Workplace-Skills Wish Lists of IT Execs"). "Gauging the moral fiber of job applicants" is a key aspect of the Dannon Co. hiring process according to Mike Close, chief technology officer. Jerry Luftman, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. and SIM's vice president of academic affairs noted that "circumventing security systems" and other misdeeds by technology employees has spurred the increased interest in assessing the ethical attitudes of new hires.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it possible to determine a prospective employee's moral compass in a brief interview?
2. Is it most important that a company's administration exhibits ethical behavior to demonstrate what is expected of all employees?
3. Should all companies use and enforce a code of ethics so employees know what actions are acceptable and the consequences for not following the code?