Abramoff: Lobbying Charges: A Case Study

ABRAMOFF : LOBBYING CHARGES
A CASE STUDY
Submitted by - MBA(G) A
Sanya Kohli : 13
Prapti Swaroop Kumar: 01
Ankit Kumar Varun : 43
Jayant Sharma : 32
Shivang Gupta : 63
Shivam Arora : 39
Corrupt system creates corrupt people
Abramoff couldn’t have flourished if this system,
itself, was not corrupt,
• Abramoff can’t get away with tagging himself as moral or religious. His
deeds were purely unethical.
• The American political system seems to be breeding ground for corrupt

due to loopholes and lack of Moral and ethical structural basis.
• Abramoff being undoubtedly a corrupt man was motivated and pushed

by correct politicians around him.
• Strictly ethical political structure would have restricted Abramoff from

asserting his power and influence over congressmen.
• The blame is equally shared here between the system and Abramoff
but Abramoff succumbed to corrupt environment and lacked morality
and Individuality
Q1. Abramoff had an established set of morals in his personal life, and was deeply religious…..
● The main objective of the case is to illustrate how

well-intentioned people can make serious ethical
errors and even commit crimes if they are not careful.
● From an independent moral perspective, I personally

think we have to simultaneously address both the
institutional and individual components.
● It also looks at the relationship between law and

ethics, issues of power and privilege, and above all,
the potential pitfalls any ambitious person faces when
operating within a hyper-competitive environment.
● I think if we insist that the institutional or governing body
bears the responsibility to mitigate unethical behaviour,
then we concede much of our rights or freedoms, as it
would be impractical to demand that legislative, judicial, or
legal implementation comprehensively cover all possible
unethical action while preserving intelligent determination.
● Indeed, Abramoff is not someone who just “doesn’t get”

ethics. He believed he was a ‘moral lobbyist’ who fought
hard on behalf of his clients. The kind of decision-making
errors that Abramoff made are the focus of a field of study
known as behavioral ethics, which draws upon psychology,
cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and related
disciplines to determine how and why people make the
ethical and unethical decisions that they do
The
Importance
of Ethical
Behaviour
We instinctively know that it is good to be
moral and act with integrity, but by
coming to an understanding of the
reasons for morality and integrity,
we will be motivated to champion
such behaviour. Among the reasons
to be moral and integral, regardless
of occupation are to:
● Make society better- When we help make society better, we are rewarded with also
making better own lives and the lives of our families and friends. Without moral conduct, society
would be a miserable place.
● Treat everyone equally- Equality is a cornerstone of most Western democracies, where
all individuals are afforded the same rights. This is not possible without the majority of citizens
behaving in a moral manner.
● Succeed at business.- If you are employed in an occupation in which there you must rely
on others, your moral conduct will determine the degree of goodwill that you receive from others.
Businesses that have a checkered moral history are typically viewed with caution and are unlikely
to attract new customers through word of mouth, and therefore are unlikely to prosper.
● Lessen stress- When we make immoral decisions, we tend to feel uncomfortable and
concerned about our decision making. Making the right moral decision, or taking a principled
perspective on an issue, reduces stress.
What are
ethics?
• Beliefs about what is morally
correct or acceptable.
• The discipline concerned with
what is morally good and bad and
morally right and wrong.
What does it ● Being ethical is being conscientious about your choices.
mean being ● If you are ethical, you know what things are good, and perform
those good actions instead of malicious actions.
ethical ? ● To be truly ethical, you must be doing it for self-satisfaction, not a
prize.
Being an Ethical Business in a Corrupt Environment
“Everyone else is doing it,” they may tell themselves, “So we have to do it too.”
An individual with a high degree of performing ethically in business and life will have the following advantages :
1. Less Stress
2. More Self Esteem and Self Respect for oneself
3. Have nothing to be scared off
4. Enrich the lives of oneself
5. Inspire others by creating a ripple effect
6. Be highly respected
7. Can make the society a harmonious and better play to live in
“A person’s reputation is of key importance for a business leader, and if a person’s reputation is
damaged by poor ethical conduct, the business will also suffer. ’’

Abramoff: Lobbying Charges: A Case Study

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Abramoff: Lobbying Charges: A Case Study

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ABRAMOFF : LOBBYING CHARGES

• The American political system seems to be breeding ground for corrupt

• Abramoff being undoubtedly a corrupt man was motivated and pushed

• Strictly ethical political structure would have restricted Abramoff from

● The main objective of the case is to illustrate how

● From an independent moral perspective, I personally

● It also looks at the relationship between law and

● Indeed, Abramoff is not someone who just “doesn’t get”

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