Clearly, some of us are more prone than others when it comes to cheating and purposeful lying. While all of us are susceptible to being unethical in one form or another, research shows that certain personalities are more likely to cheat or be dishonest than others. While he findings presented by Williams and his colleagues (2010) regarding high school and college student are at the individual level, there is also a group dynamic related to unethical and cheating behavior – for example in corporations. As Hall (2006) notes, honest individuals can become caught up in cheating behaviors when the corporate culture justifies (and even glorifies) it. This is similar to someone buying an expensive car, which thereafter experiencing significant quality problems. The purchaser then finds ways to justify the purchase despite these problems. This cognitive bias (justifying behavior) is likely to be more common in more junior employees who feel the need to adapt to corporate culture.
“BIG FISH” Who Cheat
As we have commented above, Anyone and everyone is a potential cheat. When it comes to lying and cheating, no one is immune. At time of writing, this news article was posted on CNN.com (Lillis and Perez, 2023):
The insular world of FBI counterintelligence agents was rocked last month when one of their own, Charles F. McGonigal, formerly the FBI’s top counterintelligence official in New York, was indicted for allegedly selling access to Russian and Albanian officials in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
Former FBI officials who worked with McGonigal told CNN they were stunned, disappointed, and “pissed off” when they learned the news. One called the charges, “horrifying.”This guy was unbelievably respected and really seen as a career counterintelligence expert,” according to a former senior FBI official who worked with McGonigal. “He was one of these rockstars in [counterintelligence] who, when hard jobs, when very sensitive assignments came up, he was on the shortlist of people that you would look to and say, ‘Hey, where’s Charlie, what’s he doing for the next six months?’
Speculation has swirled around the potential damage McGonigal may have caused, including whether he exposed any sensitive information that could damage US national security. As a senior counterintelligence official, McGonigal had access to some of the most sensitive information in the FBI’s possession, as well as the CIA’s and other agencies’ information.
Leadership coaches and consultants who operate independently of the corporate culture are often best able to observe and identify these behaviors in their clients (corporate culture as well as individual personalities) and help leaders cultivate a more ethical culture and set of behaviors.
When Personality crashes into Circumstance
We have described some of the personality types that are more likely to cheat and lie, but the potential to lie and cheat is greatly enhanced when circumstances and opportunity maximize this potential. Our experience suggests that there are a number of key factors that can increase the likelihood of an employee engaging in cheating and lying behavior (of which, all of these can be identified and influenced by leadership coaches and consultants):
* Access to sensitive information: Employees with access to sensitive information are more likely to abuse their privileges if they have malicious intent or if their personal circumstances create personal stress – for example, divorce and financial problems (see next).
* Stress and personal problems: Financial difficulties, family problems, or job dissatisfaction and resentment can increase the likelihood of employees committing fraudulent activities. These kinds of situations can be effectively identified by ethnographic techniques.
* Power and trust: Employees with a high level of trust and power within the organization are more likely to abuse their privileges if they feel they can get away with it (The CNN.com news item described previously about the FBI is a good example of this)
* Weaknesses in the company’s security measures: If the company’s security measures are lax or easily bypassed, it increases the likelihood that employees will engage in malicious activities. In these situations, personality is likely the more powerful driver of bad behavior
* Lack of consequences: If there is a perception that the consequences for cheating and lying are minimal or non-existent, it may increase the likelihood of such activities.
It’s important to recognize that these factors can increase the risk of an employee engaging in cheating and lying behaviors, but they don’t necessarily cause them. As we shall note, professional coaches who operate independently of the corporate culture are often best able to identify these behaviors in their clients (corporate culture as well as individual personalities) and help leaders cultivate a more ethical culture and set of behaviors. Consultants specializing in “insider threats” and in corporate culture are in in a good position to analyze the risks and develop mechanisms to reduce the risk.
