By Adam Turteltaub

It happens to the best and worst of people:  An ethical lapse.  Sometimes it’s minor, and sometimes it’s major.  But it happens.  The question is why and what can we in compliance and ethics do about it.

Professor Stuart Pardau argues in this episode of the Compliance Perspectives podcast that to understand these behaviors it is more instructive to look at the common cases rather than the extreme ones.  And, while doing that, pay close attention to the culture.  For one, corporate culture is a place where compliance can have an impact.  The second reason:  culture can be an effective control.

Some of the other suggestions he provides to prevent lapses:

* Slow down: fast-moving organizations and individuals don’t have enough time to think clearly

* Give people a goal beyond just making money

* Use training that provides rationales and reasons behind policies, not just what the rules are

* Give real-life examples showing the consequences of ethical lapses, including on people’s families

Listen in to learn more about ethical lapses, and how you can help prevent them.