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Continuous Improvement on the Mechanism of Metal Gears.

The Debilitating Effects of Minimal Ethics & Compliance Training

Premise #1: In-depth ethics training and compliance is an unnecessary expense; it drains available cash and yields a below average return on investment. Premise #2: New employees can ramp up more quickly by learning on the job from older employees and supervisors. Premise #3: Training takes employees away from work time that may result in […]

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Little league baseball pitcher on the mound.

Our Kids Teaching Us Ethical Conduct

Our kids teach us how to be ethical in more ways than we realize or appreciate. As ethical is broad in scope and meaning, what behaviors are they demonstrating to us that we can put to better use in our personal and business lives? Prior to discussing that, let’s cover some basics about the word ethical and […]

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Five different Olympic sports on a circular background.

The Olympics and Code of Ethics

The Olympic Games are in full swing at Rio de Janeiro and it is an event that I have since a child always tried to watch. What other event can bring together a planet of 205 nations representing over 11,000 athletes in a competition where triumph, defeat, and sportsmanship are on full display? The International […]

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Seven Years of Ethical Reflections

On July 31, 2009 my wife and two boys, then fourteen and ten years of age, drove me to a federal prison to serve time for illegally acquiring computer networking parts from a global manufacturer during 2001-2002. There is no playbook for saying goodbye to your family and no clear road maps to guide one […]

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Loaded gun aimed at you, focus on gun barrel (shallow dof)

Unspeakable Violence in America and the Lack of Moral Compasses

Recently in my town of Minneapolis-St. Paul, a black man was shot dead in his car by a police officer with his girlfriend present and their child in the back seat. He did not have a criminal record and was pulled over for having a broken tail light on his car. As the internal investigation […]

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Judges Gavel, Soundboard,  Handcuffs and Sign CRIME on Grunge Wooden Table

DOJ Announces First Declinations after Implementing FCPA Pilot Program

Upon first glance of the above title, you might ask yourself why should I care and how does it affect my life? It is a fair response, and applies to any organization conducting business overseas. Moreover, it is particularly relevant to any operation that has a physical presence in a country including employees, facilities, and […]

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Corruption In U.S. Politics Is Alive and Well

Just when public opinion of our elected officials can’t get any lower, another bombshell came to life courtesy of a federal jury convicting U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah representing Philadelphia. Some background on Fattah is appropriate here. First elected to Congress in 1994, he served consecutive terms unchallenged prior to losing the Democratic primary in April […]

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Ethical Musings Concerning Responsibility vs. Accountability

Most of us have heard the expression “The buck stops here” that was coined by former United States President Harry Truman in the 1940’s. This phrase has been interpreted to mean that the President has to make tough decisions and accept the ultimate responsibility for those decisions. It has carried over into our personal and […]

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Mother and son

A Mother’s View of Ethics In the Workplace

Happy Mother’s day to all of you remarkable women!! This morning I was fortunate enough to take my mom to church services and spend a delightfully long breakfast with her covering a wide range of subjects including ethics. Our visit ended when she noticed a waiting line expanding at the host’s stand. In her typical selfless […]

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Mature woman sits on the beach with her head bowed and praying as the sun sets on the water.

Why Grace, Humility, and Thankfulness Matter In Our Lives

It is easy for any human including this writer to be judgmental and critical of others.  We tend to ignore facts, become opinionated, and focus on the negative. I wish there was a definitive answer regarding this aspect of human conduct and someone could provide a meaningful analysis as to why this is? Please permit […]

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