During this audio conference, the presenter will recount some recent ethical lapses in government and examine the causes and effects. By examining a series of ethical lapses, we find that a pattern emerges. That pattern allows us to think about this question: What is it in the culture of an agency that allows obvious ethical breaches to occur and continue? Once we understand the culture, we can think about putting the detection methods, as well as antidotes, in place.

The compliance training, the codes, and all those easily measurable components of ethical culture may not tell the full story. Without the full story, we can never be sure that we are catching all those gradual slips. The full story requires consideration of factors that are not easily placed into dashboard measures. The presenter takes a look at some of the faint signals which appear long before the ethical troubles emerge.

To share her expertise in ethical behavior and its ramifications is Marianne M. Jennings, JD, Professor in the Department of Management in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU). At ASU, Marianne teaches graduate courses in the MBA program in business ethics and the legal environment of business. Professor Jennings has authored hundreds of articles and has six textbooks and monographs in circulation. Marianne's latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse, was published by St. Martin's Press in July 2006. She has conducted more than 300 workshops and seminars in the areas of business, personal, government, legal, academic and professional ethics. Among her many awards and honors, Marianne was inducted into the AGA Speakers' Hall of Fame and also received a writers' award for best article in AGA's Journal of Government Financial Management.