Ethical Drift Essay
Ethical drift is a concept of universal application to issues in health care management and leadership. Overt unethical behavior is always an issue, and one solved with a variety of policies and procedures. Ethical drift, however, is more invidious as it is often unseen until the real problems develop. In order to avoid ethical drift, it is necessary for the healthcare professional to first understand it: what it is and its causes. Only when the concept and causes of ethical drift are understood can policies be crafted and implemented in order to prevent it. If the healthcare leader chooses not to acknowledge ethical drift, compliance with laws and regulations will become more difficult and will, eventually, land the organization in
…show more content…
Part of that promotion includes the goals set by management. For this reason, goals need to be carefully considered, drafted and implemented. Goals may be set with the best of intentions, but if possible negative outcomes are not examined, poor outcomes and ethical lapses may be the result. A common example is setting billable hours with the goal of increasing productivity. If the goal, however, is unrealistic or unachievable then bill padding may occur. Furthermore, an employee who is meeting the goals is generating revenue, and as a result managers may not make an effort to look beyond the documentation. If the employee is in fact bill padding, the cycle continues and ethical drift sets in. The four Sternberg factors are at work here: there is competition to meet goals, little reward for accurate reporting if the goals are not achievable, the fact that others may be openly padding, and the message is to achieve or be fired. One can also easily see ill-conceived goals, motivated blindness, indirect blindness, and overvalued outcomes. Healthcare leaders must be proactive in addressing minor violations as well. Neglect of seemingly miniscule errors will create a culture of carelessness and lead the employees to believe that it doesn’t really matter if they are compliant with laws, regulations, and policies. The slippery slope and indirectness of such actions are apparent. It is crucial for management to correct even minor problems before they become insurmountable ethical
Part of that promotion includes the goals set by management. For this reason, goals need to be carefully considered, drafted and implemented. Goals may be set with the best of intentions, but if possible negative outcomes are not examined, poor outcomes and ethical lapses may be the result. A common example is setting billable hours with the goal of increasing productivity. If the goal, however, is unrealistic or unachievable then bill padding may occur. Furthermore, an employee who is meeting the goals is generating revenue, and as a result managers may not make an effort to look beyond the documentation. If the employee is in fact bill padding, the cycle continues and ethical drift sets in. The four Sternberg factors are at work here: there is competition to meet goals, little reward for accurate reporting if the goals are not achievable, the fact that others may be openly padding, and the message is to achieve or be fired. One can also easily see ill-conceived goals, motivated blindness, indirect blindness, and overvalued outcomes. Healthcare leaders must be proactive in addressing minor violations as well. Neglect of seemingly miniscule errors will create a culture of carelessness and lead the employees to believe that it doesn’t really matter if they are compliant with laws, regulations, and policies. The slippery slope and indirectness of such actions are apparent. It is crucial for management to correct even minor problems before they become insurmountable ethical