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UNIT FOUR – ETHICS AND COMPANY CULTURE
SECTION 4A – TEMPTATION AT WORK FOR INDIVIDUAL GAIN AND
THAT CREDO
READING 4.1 – THE MOVING LINE
George Lefcoe
Use PowerPoint Slide 120.
Professor Lefcoe, the author of numerous treatises in real estate, zoning, land planning, and
development, reflects on his time as a public official. He went into the job with a definitive set of values
that he was determined not to compromise. One of those values was that he would not take gifts from the
people he regulated. He tried to be absolute and resolute in his values but notes, humorously, that he
kept moving the line from his absolute values until he was comfortable with behaving in a manner that ran
absolutely contra to his original values.
The students should see that he did not begin by accepting the ham – he went from rejecting the ham to
expectation of the ham just by moving his standards a tolerable bit each year.
Encourage the students to develop their values that they will not compromise and that they will need to
exercise caution on moving the line.
Answers and Key Discussion Items
1. Mr. Lefcoe’s absolute line was a rule on appearance of propriety and conflicts of interest: no gifts.
2. He crossed the line ever so gradually with subtle moves backed by rationalizations. He moved the
3. Use PowerPoint Slide 120 to illustrate the point being made in question 3 – we evolve into slipped
READING 4.2 – NOT ALL EMPLOYEES ARE EQUAL WHEN IT COMES TO MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Use PowerPoint Slides 121 - 126 for discussion.
Answers and Key Discussion Items
1. Students should be able to see some of the characteristics of each of the categories in themselves. If
they just did what they were told, they could be a postponer (just want the money to get through
2. Use PowerPoint Slides 124 - 126 for discussion of some of the people.
Note the use of general categories to help students do the introspection of where they are in their
PERSON CATEGORY
WiFi Piggybackers Amoral technician – they can do it, so why not?; Morally
desensitized – their generation believes it is okay (Case
1.16)
Speeders Morally superior/egotist – “I know how to drive!” “The
rules are for others.” “I am smarter.” (Case 1.18)
Fabrice Tourre Moral sycophant; amoral technician; morally
desensitized; morally detached; moral
compartmentalizer (Case 2.11)
John Paulson Amoral technician (Case 2.11)
