When you run into an ethical dilemma on the job, should you stand your ground or give in? Your response helps shape corporate culture.

From a coworker pilfering paper clips to a project team skipping safety tests, the workplace can produce sticky situations.

It can be tempting to turn a blind eye. But both "good" and "bad" conduct send ripples through a company, say experts at the American Management Association (AMA). Your seemingly isolated response may help set the tone for years.

What should you do when you're asked or tempted to act counter to your ethics--or when behavior you've seen makes it tough to come to work? Here are some suggestions to help guide your next move.

Question Loyalty
Sometimes, ethical dilemmas arise because you feel loyal to your company, boss, or coworker, yet you want to do what's right.

Loyalty is important, but valuing it above all else can prove dangerous. In most cases, poor decision making and wrongdoing eventually come to light. So evaluate the demand being made of you:

• Seek out facts. Make sure you understand the situation.
• Think about responses in past instances. What worked? What didn't?
• Consider how similar this situation is to those past cases.
• Analyze your biases and thinking process. How do they affect your willingness to act?

Learn a Diplomatic 'No'
If a demand offends your ethical sense but you're afraid of damaging a future working relationship, it's time for a skillfully worded "no."

Pat Nickerson and Alec Mackenzie, authors of The Time Trap (AMACOM 2009), outline a soft letdown:

• Don't open with "no." Balking outright can lead to a cascade of counterarguments. Say, "I see a risk to you" or "to the company." You'll pique curiosity and keep the other person's defenses down.
• Put pen to paper as you outline the downside. Your cohort focuses on the page--not you. The denial becomes less personal.
• Offer alternatives. Present the facts as you see them and offer work-arounds when possible.

Don't feel compelled to justify your "no." If pressed, try, "I feel uncomfortable with your request. Count me out." Your coworker may be unhappy short term, but your response may cause him or her to dig deeper and make a more ethical decision.

If workplace or consumer safety is at risk, privately voicing objections may not be enough. Going to higherups may be your only choice.

Create a Code
It's best to think out your personal code of ethics before it's challenged. Consider why you would or wouldn't engage in certain actions.

In heated moments, recognize "red flag" thoughts when you're tempted to take an action that bumps up against your code. These include:

• "Just this once."
• "They won't miss it."
• "I didn't break the law."
• "It's not that big a deal."
• "Rules are made to be broken."

Encourage Ethics
Even if others seem to be "getting away with it," consider the erosive nature of unethical behavior before diving in. When you act ethically, others are encouraged to do so too.

What if you're the one in authority and you're faced with poor conduct by those who report to you? A willful ethical breach requires stern discipline if you want to foster aboveboard behavior. But understand the difference between ethical breaches and mistakes. Mistakes call for coaching.

Then consider adding safeguards or official codes of conduct so others won't face similar challenges later.

By Stephanie Molnar, a feature writer for Vitality. For more information, visit the American Management Association at www.amanet.org.

© Krames StayWell. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from Krames StayWell.