This session will examine a number of issues that inform the ways that deviance becomes normalized in health care organizations. After a brief survey of the nature of organizational ethics, the presentation will examine variables by which deviant practices become ingrained. The primary vehicles enabling dishonest or deviant practices include the phenomena of institutionalization, rationalization, and socialization. Each one will be examined at some length, with practical examples taken from the annals of white collar crimes.

Especially discussed will be a variety of remedies for preventing fraud or deviant practices, including developing an organizational atmosphere that emphasizes ethical leadership and role modeling; and protecting and responding to employees who speak up about untoward or frankly deviant organizational practices. The presentation will conclude with a list of characteristics of ethical leaders. These will include comments on strong ethical character, their passionate commitment to do what is right, their sense of fairness on the way they use and value their moral imaginations, and on their use of moral principles to guide decisions. The significance of ethical leadership cannot be overemphasized, because much organizational corruption is either condoned by leadership or occurs because of poor or absent administrative oversight.