A Case Study on Ethics in the 21st Century & the Enron Effect
Dr. Anil Kumar Palla, Dr. Iris A Billy, Dr. Eric S Harter, Kiran Kumar Palla

Abstract
Kinicki and Kreitner, (2009) stated that each individual has an exclusive set of characteristics, drawn from “personality, values, moral principles, history of reinforcement, and gender.” Essentially, a person‟s innate nature and personal history shapes their ethical framework, which means that individual is never a „blank slate‟ as it were. However, it is important to note that this also means that individuals are also not a fixed ethical entity and can therefore be influenced in both good and bad directions throughout their life. Kinicki and Kreitner (2009) posited that the individual also faces internal and external influences within an organization. The internal organizational influences are as follows: “Ethical codes, organizational culture, organizational size, structure, perceived pressure for results, corporate strategy” (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009, p. 23). Some of these influences, such as ethical codes, corporate strategy, size and structure have a more foundational impact, while culture and perceived pressure can have secondary impact. It is important to note however, that if the secondary influences are pervasive enough, they may actually override the stated codes and strategies found within the organizational core.

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