...The Escalation of Deception in Organizations I am happy and sad to read this article, written by Peter Fleming and Stelios C. Zyglidopoulos (2008), ‘The Escalation of Deception in Organizations’. Just knowing how easily deception starts, how it escalates and how it can end if left unchecked is shocking! Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto Vl, is right on target when he wrote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!” Individuals weave complex webs with threads of deception, corporation, escalation, lying and unethical behavior that can manifest from the inside or outside of any organizations. This behavior can and will encompass unsuspecting employees and investors who may inadvertently become involved without their knowledge. This article explains, to its readers, why it is imperative to understand where this organizational killer starts, be aware of how it escalates and how moderators can prevent the deception from escalating into an organizational level phenomenon. The happy news is that escalation of deceit to the organizational level (the end) can be prevented altogether. If escalation has already started and caught in an early stage, this phenomenon can be halted and reversed using these two moderators; Commitment and implementation of a corporate code of ethics explained by Sommers, (2001), Adam and Rachman-Moore (2004), O’Dwyer and Madden (2006) and Effective Control Systems, Rosanas and Velila (2005). A morally matured person acts and...
Words: 950 - Pages: 4
...The FoxMeyer Drugs' Bankruptcy: Was it a Failure of ERP? Judy E. Scott, The University of Texas at Austin, Judy.Scott@bus.utexas.edu Abstract This interpretive case study of FoxMeyer Drugs' ERP implementation is based on empirical frameworks and models of software project risks and project escalation. Implications of the study offer suggestions on how to avoid ERP failure. warehouses, the transition to the first automated warehouse was a disaster. Disgruntled workers damaged inventory, and orders were not filled, and mistakes occurred as the new system struggled with the volume of transactions. $34 million worth of inventory were lost (Jesitus 1997). Second, the scope of the project was risky. FoxMeyer was an early adopter of SAP R/3. After the project began, FoxMeyer signed a large contract to supply University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). This event exacerbated the need for an unprecedented volume of R/3 transactions. Although, prior to the contract, testing seemed to indicate that R/3 on HP9000 servers would be able to cope with the volume of transactions, in 1994 R/3 could process only 10,000 customer orders per night, compared with 420,000 under FoxMeyer's original mainframe system (Jesitus 1997). Third, the execution of the project was an issue due to the shortage of skilled and knowledgeable personnel. FoxMeyer did not have the necessary skills in-house and was relying on Andersen Consulting to implement R/3 and integrate the ERP with an automated warehouse system from...
Words: 2060 - Pages: 9
...The FoxMeyer Drugs' Bankruptcy: Was it a Failure of ERP? Judy E. Scott, The University of Texas at Austin, Judy.Scott@bus.utexas.edu Abstract This interpretive case study of FoxMeyer Drugs' ERP implementation is based on empirical frameworks and models of software project risks and project escalation. Implications of the study offer suggestions on how to avoid ERP failure. warehouses, the transition to the first automated warehouse was a disaster. Disgruntled workers damaged inventory, and orders were not filled, and mistakes occurred as the new system struggled with the volume of transactions. $34 million worth of inventory were lost (Jesitus 1997). Second, the scope of the project was risky. FoxMeyer was an early adopter of SAP R/3. After the project began, FoxMeyer signed a large contract to supply University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). This event exacerbated the need for an unprecedented volume of R/3 transactions. Although, prior to the contract, testing seemed to indicate that R/3 on HP9000 servers would be able to cope with the volume of transactions, in 1994 R/3 could process only 10,000 customer orders per night, compared with 420,000 under FoxMeyer's original mainframe system (Jesitus 1997). Third, the execution of the project was an issue due to the shortage of skilled and knowledgeable personnel. FoxMeyer did not have the necessary skills in-house and was relying on Andersen Consulting to implement R/3 and integrate the ERP with an automated warehouse system from...
Words: 2060 - Pages: 9
...complex and ambiguous challenge, and that is why it is required to be wholly and watchfully studied and researched. 3. Don’t declare victory too soon : Do not declare the victory too soon because the result can be changed, but we can celebrate a win. As one said “Declaring the war won can sometimes be catastrophic”. 4. Beware of escalation of commitment : Escalation means intensification, and there are four factors that can lead to escalation, and these include :- (a) Project determinants, (b) Psychological determinants, (c) Social determinants, and (d) Organizational determinants. Seven practices that can help reduce escalation : (A) Don’t ignore negative feedback or external pressure. (B) Hire an external assessor to provide an independent view on progress. (C) Don’t be afraid to withhold further resources/funding; as well as limiting losses, it has symbolic value in that it is a fairly emphatic signal that there is concern with progress. (D) Look for opportunities to redefine the problem and thereby generate ideas for courses of action other than the one being abandoned. (E) Manage impressions. Frame the “de-escalation” in a way that saves face. (F) Prepare your stakeholders because if they shared the initial belief in the rationale for the change, their reaction or an announcement of the abandonment of the change may be resist. (G) Look for opportunities to deinstitutionalize the...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...This literature review covers the utter failure in preventing and stopping the atrocity of the genocide in Rwanda. The review is centred on analysing the different types of decision making processes and the models of decision making adopted by the leader, General Romeo Dallaire and the UN and its member states. It highlights the challenges Dallaire had faced in maintaining a peace process and the inaction of the UN to prevent the genocide. It will focus on the types of decision making processes; sporadic decision, fluid decision and constricted decision. In addition the models of decision making; rational, bureaucratic, garbage can and political will be discussed. The review will also look into the geo-political relations. Dallaire’s assessment was to make a decision whether the UN should commit in sending a full-fledged peacekeeping force to Rwanda. Dallaire required a long period of time to come out with his decision as it required him to do a fact finding mission. Cray, David ; Mallory, Geoffrey R. ; Butler, Richard J. ; Hickson, David J. ; Wilson, David C. (1998) indicated that there is a certain latitude in the way that the decision is made and this leads to these decisions taking more time. Rational decision was made where he had to consider the situation with careful evaluation. This decision was then sent to the UN to make final decision. It was a bureaucratic decision as final decision was to be made at the top level. However, Dallaire knew that the UN would not send...
Words: 1768 - Pages: 8
... alternatives. _________________4.It influences decision makers by suggesting to them what choices are preferable in terms of personal payoff. _________________5.The choices made from among two or more alternatives. _________________6.This refers to choices that are consistent and value maximizing. _________________7.A step in rational decision-making that requires decision maker to do this that could succeed in resolving the problem. _________________8.It is an ability to produce novel and useful ideas. _________________9.It is an unconscious process created out of distilled experience. _________________10.An increased commitment to a previous decision in spite of negative information. II. What is Representative Heuristic? III. Draw the Three Components of Creativity. Chapter 5 Management 26 Name:________________________________________________ Date:________________ I. IDENTIFICATION: 1. They are individuals who report unethical practices by their employer to outsiders. 2. The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is readily available to them. 3.A style of...
Words: 1196 - Pages: 5
...1.8 Life Cycle Costing Purpose Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is an important economic analysis used in the selection of alternatives that impact both pending and future costs. It compares initial investment options and identifies the least cost alternatives for a twenty year period. As applied to building design energy conservation measures, the process is mandated by law and is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 10, Part 436, Subpart A: Program Rules of the Federal Energy Management Program. The A/E shall contact local utility companies to determine available demand-side management programs and nocost assistance provided by these companies to designers and owners. Applications Basic applications of LCC are addressed within the individual chapters herein and may be further defined within an A-E’s design programming scope requirements. In general, LCC is expected to support selection of all building systems that impact energy use: thermal envelope, passive solar features, fenestration, HVAC, domestic hot water, building automation and lighting. However, LCC can also be applied to building features or involve costs related to occupant productivity, system maintenance, environmental impact and any other issue that impacts costs over time. It is very important to recognize the significance of integrated building systems design in the overall e iciency of the design. Methodology There are many established guidelines and computerbased tools that e ectively...
Words: 1647 - Pages: 7
...1. A “we feeling” that binds members of a group together is called: A. Group cohesiveness. B. Escalation of commitment. C. Groupthink. D. Ostracism. E. Cross-functionalism. 2. _____ roles keep the group on track while _____ roles keep the group together. A. Maintenance; task B. Initiator; elaborator C. Task; maintenance D. Compromiser; follower E. Elaborator; initiator 3. Virtual groups formed over the Internet follow a group development process similar to that for face-to-face groups. True False 4. __________ refers to identifying and choosing solutions that lead to a desired end result. A. Heuristics B. Decision making C. Escalation of commitment D. Creativity E. Participative management 5. Which of these represents rule of thumb or shortcuts that people use to reduce information processing demands? A. Availability heuristics B. Escalation of commitment C. Representative heuristics D. Judgmental heuristics E. Nominal Group Technique 6. _______________ is(are) acquired from experiences. A. Tacit knowledge B. Tacit heuristics C. Explicit knowledge D. Explicit heuristics E. Availability heuristics 7. The four decision-making styles are: A. Directive, analytical, conceptual, and behavioral. B. Rational, normative, intuitive, and perceptive. C. Assertive, aggressive, non-assertive, and instinctive. D. Appreciative, evaluative, discerning, and empathetic. E. Holistic, automated, tacit, and explicit. 8. _____ is a process in...
Words: 775 - Pages: 4
...concern for policymakers. According to an article by Brennan Berg, Kathryn Winsley, Rhema Fuller, and Michael Hutchinson from the University of Memphis called, From Crisis to De-escalation: An Examination of Politics in a U.S. High School Steroid Testing Program, the state of Texas constructed the country's largest steroid testing program for high school athletes in 2008. Between 2008 and 2013, over 62,000 high school athletes were tested. Of those tested, only 190 were positive (Berg, Winsley, Fuller & Hutchinson, 2017). Using escalation of commitment theory as a framework, this paper examines the critical, but less studied, role of politics and de-escalation behavior that directed this distinct sport situation (Berg, Winsley, Fuller & Hutchinson, 2017). By combining policy and media documents with the academic literature, this paper allows for a greater understanding of how the steroid testing program was formulated and implemented, which may influence how policymakers address steroids among amateur athletes in the future (Berg, Winsley, Fuller & Hutchinson, 2017). This paper also offers new opportunities for future research by highlighting a new sport context in which escalation of commitment theory applies and specifically noting the significant role politics can play in escalation or de-escalation decision making (Berg, Winsley, Fuller & Hutchinson, 2017). Furthermore, in 2016, an article by Aikaterine Gkonta examines the legal framework that provisions sanctions aiming at...
Words: 1323 - Pages: 6
...Battle of Algiers The Battle of Algiers is a film by Italian filmmaker, Gillo Pontecorvo. The film was nominated for three Oscars for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen, and Best Director. It won the grand prize at Venice and was given top honors in London during its debut. The Battle of Algiers reveals the questionable effects of Western imperialism and how the legacy of imperialism is tied to the suppression of indigenous resistance. The film is set in the city of Algiers which was the capital of Algiers, during French colonist rule of the 1950s and 1960s. The film depicts how the French colonists were successful in winning the Battle of Algiers in 1957, however, in the end, their tactics cost them the colony of Algeria; three years later, the people overthrew French colonial rule and won their independence. The film is an insightful interpretation of the effect of Western colonialism; as such, it's an important source of reference in the discussion of current events involving the West's intervention in the Middle East. The movie begins with a torture scene in which French paratroopers have just gained information about the freedom fighters. The French know where the leader, Ali Pointe, is hiding and he has thirty seconds to surrender. Much of the film is a flashback from the point of view of Ali Pointe, the leader of the resistance. The way the film came about is surprising in many ways. The movie was subsidized by the Algerian...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...Service Level Agreement 10/10/2013 Document Control Preparation |Action |Name |Date | | | | | Release |Version |Date Released |Change Notice |Pages Affected |Remarks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Distribution List |Name |Organization |Title | | | | | | | | | | | | ...
Words: 3930 - Pages: 16
...is. Negative behavior patterns such as one spouse lying or withholding financial information cause many marriages to fall apart. Research done over the last 20 years show that negative patterns or behavior can destroy a marriage. There are four negative behavior patterns the author will discuss. The negative behavior pattern is escalation. Escalation occurs when a couple’s conversation gets more and more hostile through continually upping the ante of negative back and forth responses. A small disagreement soon blows into a major fight as the level of anger and frustration increases with each negative comment. Tailed marriages and marriages with problems find arguments that escalate to the point that damaging things are said find their oneness and intimacy quickly shattered by a few thoughtless words. There are two ways escalation can develop. The first way is through a major shouting fight mean things are said about one another. The second way is less dramatic but just as damaging. The rolling of the eyes, throwing up hands and running errands that result in muttering to one-self are some examples of escalation. Relationships are ruined by arguments, turning lovers into enemies. The second negative...
Words: 1664 - Pages: 7
...Name: Mashell Chapeyama Institution: University of the People Short essays on Organizational Behavior This is a compilation of essays on Organizational behavior. The essays vary in their length and scope but they are all essential. Those essays entitled Reflections are based on the writer’s evaluations of material learned during the particular period. The essays were written as assignments to meet the requirements of the course: Organizational Behavior, at the University of the People. The University of the People is a new initiative on the global scene. It is the first tuition free University in the world, yet it has high quality education. It has various levels of assignments. Some of the questions require shorter answers, whereas the others require longer ones. Organizational Behavior is one of the courses at University of the People, in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. The inadequacies in the answers must be attributed to the writer and not to the institution. This publication has nothing to do with the requirements of the university. It is my personal interest to preserve my assignments and that these may assist other learners. Any comments must be sent to the writer at the email: mchapeyama@gmail.com Diversity Program Most modern organizations have knowledge on how to tap on diversity to get a competitive business advantage. Managing of diversity is now put alongside issues such as corporate social responsibility and ethics as an appeal...
Words: 18254 - Pages: 74
...Summarized by: Nada Mohamed Hassan El-Egeimy 45 C- Heliopolis Summarized by: Nada Mohamed Hassan El-Egeimy 45 C- Heliopolis PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES: REFLEXION AND REFLECTION IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Abstract In recent years, there has been a move to identify the behavioral foundations underpinning the evolutionary and economic fitness of the enterprise. Indeed, the dynamic capabilities project now occupies center stage in the field of strategic management. Yet the accounts developed thus far—like much of the field’s theory and research more generally—are predicated upon a cold cognition logic that downplays the significance of emotional/affective and nonconscious cognitive processes for strategic adaptation. In this article, we rectify this imbalance by drawing upon contemporary advances in social cognitive neuroscience and neuroeconomics to develop a series of countervailing insights and new prescriptions for the development of dynamic capabilities. Using Teece’s (2007) influential framework to organize and illustrate our arguments, we demonstrate how the fundamental capabilities of sensing, seizing, and transforming each require firms to harness the cognitive and emotional capacities of individuals and groups to blend effortful forms of analysis with the skilled utilization of less deliberative, intuitive processes. Introduction Over the past two decades, a growing body of work has sought to incorporate the insights of human psychology to...
Words: 1511 - Pages: 7
...Lesson 02 - Thought Question - 02 - Determining when Conflict appears to be heading towards either Escalation or Avoidance. Peggy Stine - January 25, 2013 In my personal experiences with other people, I rely on various signs in determining when a conflict appears to not be heading for a resolution. For instance in order to determine when a conflict appears to be heading towards escalation I look for signs that: * Parties are entrenched in the same arguments * Militant leadership emerges in response to a perceived threat or crisis * Veiled threats and demands are used to win arguments * Name calling and personal attacks are used * Reasonable requests and a justified refusal becomes a personalized battle of wills. * One party will talk about the other as if they know everything about them. * Motives are attached to actions * One party becomes the victim of others’ actions. * Parties exaggerate the consequences of inaction * Parties have formed coalitions based on relationships, power, influence and social climate * Body language (i.e. eye contact, hand gestures...) shows hostility or closure to compromise or new ideas * A battle of wills becomes intractable when the parties see themselves as evenly matched * The fear of ‘losing’ contributes to a ‘justified’ defensive action * There is a power imbalance where one person sees the other as stronger than themselves or having an advantage that makes them stronger * More...
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
