While crossing the ethical line a little seem not to harm anyone in long term. It has effect in all of our lives because if you cross the line once it gets easier for you to cross it again. We usually convince ourselves by saying it didn’t harm anyone.
But what really causes people to begin unethical behaviour in the first place? I guess we can say lack of appropriate ethical guide line. If people be aware of the consequences of their behaviour they will be more trustworthy. Having a regular check can also prevent any unethical behaviour. Teaching mangers to know what to look for and to add politics in their practices.
In addition unethical act is not always transparent and some would do an unethical act without knowing it. Therefore companies must be clear about the type of conduct and behaviour they expect.
Companies should also encourage loyalty by showing appreciation to employees who work well. Also they should be more concerned about who they hire and make sure they hire people that are educated and experienced with good reputation, because people usually don’t risk losing their background. Finally I read somewhere that having more open and transparent practices really lead to less unethical behaviour.