The Entrepreneurial Ethic
Are small-business owners more ethical? Yes, says a recent study of 165 entrepreneurs that compared their attitudes with those of 128 big-business managers. It asked whether the following behaviors were ethical or not. These figures indicate the percentage who felt the behavior was wrong.
|
| |
% Who Disapprove |
| |
Entrepreneurs |
Managers |
| Use company services for personal use |
81.5 |
71.8 |
| Remove company supplies for personal use |
93.3 |
85.9 |
| Overstate expense accounts by more than 10% |
98.8 |
94.5 |
| Overstate expense accounts by less than 10% |
92.7 |
86.6 |
| Use company time for noncompany purposes |
80.7 |
70.4 |
| Take extra personal time |
80.0 |
56.8 |
| Authorize subordinates to violate company policy |
95.1 |
85.7 |
| Falsify reports |
98.2 |
92.1 |
| Hire rival's employees to learn trade secrets |
73.9 |
63.2 |
| Take longer than necessary to do a job |
90.8 |
77.8 |
| DATA: RISEbusiness, Washington, D.C. |
