If CEOs, managers, and members of organizations were screened using character as a major factor there would be less time spent on perfecting methods to measure accountability and more time spent on developing top performers. Everyone in an organization needs to be held accountable for their performance and productivity, but most Boards of Directors soft pedal their oversight of the CEO's behavior, and managers work to quantify accountability in general, to protect them from appeals, grievances and lawsuits. When confronted, it is likely a member will defensively respond to the supervisor saying "I am only doing the right thing" or "Everyone's doing it." It is not surprising; therefore, that managers and supervisors usually avoid discussions of behavior with a member, unless it is overtly egregious and disruptive. Yet, managers and supervisors are supposed to give "honest" evaluative feedback to members of the organization so they can use the information to improve. Performance appraisals are often used to cover harmful character flaws of members from the top down rather than to improve individual or group performance.

Organizations that practice "the organizational good" connect ethics with accountability. Too often performance accountability is discussed and ethical accountability is assumed in hiring CEOs. Board of Directors usually hire CEOs they deserve. If the bottom line to the Board is increasing productivity, market share, and stock value, that will be what the Board will look for. This kind of bottom line has been a public disappointment in the behavior of CEOs of late. They have been found to practice the ethic of "everyone's doing it" to justify what they consider "doing the right thing."

The surreptitious move by former American Airlines CEO Don Carry, to increase pay and retirement benefits for top management while demanding steep pay cuts from workers enraged labor unions, pushed the organization toward bankruptcy, and resulted in his forced resignation. Furthermore, the American Airlines Board approved the management package. The Board of Delta Airlines approved similar retirement benefits for its executives. Enron's Board of Directors overlooked 30 sham partnerships to defraud stockholders. Tyco's Board of Directors failed to question a provision in the CEO's contract that stated a felony conviction was not grounds for dismissal. The former CEO was accused of stealing $600 million from Tyco.

These are but a few current and unfortunately common, examples of the failure to connect ethics with accountability. But they are also disturbing examples of the character flaws of the Boards of Directors and the leaders they hired. These Boards knowingly hired CEOs who would ignore the ethic of the common good.