Why is it that so many well respected corporate leaders and top executives cross moral boundaries apparently without fear of disastrous consequences for their actions, especially when the right thing to do seems readily apparent? This article addresses the perennial issue, Why do good people do bad things? using a theoretical framework, the Continuum of Compromise (CoC). The CoC demonstrates the potential for radical deterioration of sociomoral inhibitions and a perceived sense of permissibility for deviant conduct (captured by the metaphor slippery slope). Specifically, this article strengthens the theoretical framework of the CoC by integrating three attitude profiles (the virtuous, the ordinary unethical behavior, and the egoist).
Surendra Arjoon, "Slippery When Wet: The Real Risk in Business," Journal of Markets & Morality 11, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 77-91