Lying at workplace - Survey and Analysis

On my way back from work I was listening the radio the other day and I come across an interesting commentary about lying in the workplace. It's a commentary by Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times and can be heard on marketplace.org. Here are a few things that caught my attention.

"Workplaces are hierarchies. That means we kiss up and kick down ...stretching the truth..."

Most insightful comment

"...the most dangerous people in business are the ones who believe their own lies."

very true!

A survey by careerbuilder.com concludes that one in five workers lie and Nineteen percent of workers admitted they tell lies at the office at least once a week This article also states the following

The most common lies workers say they have told at the office include:

• I don't know how that happened (20 percent)
• I have another call to take or I'll call you right back (16 percent)
• I've been out of town or out sick (10 percent)
• I like your outfit or you look great (8 percent)
• I didn't get your e-mail, voicemail or fax (8 percent)

The survey also states that When asked why they felt compelled to bend the truth at work, respondents cited the following reasons:

• To appease a customer (26 percent)
• To cover up a failed project, mistake or missed deadline (13 percent)
• To explain an unexcused absence or late arrival (8 percent)
• To protect another employee (8 percent)
• To get another employee in trouble or look better in front of a supervisor (5 percent)

Another website anonymousemployee.com confirms that 85 percent of hiring managers claim that they are less likely to offer a promotion to an employee who has been caught in a lie either to them directly or to other employees of the business. Also addes that

However, the most common reason for lying at work is to change the subject or avoid a topic. This includes denying knowledge of an event or situation, saying that a call will be returned, claiming that another call is coming through, or even that they were not present when certain information was sent out.

So I come across this social network website which is about radical self promotion biznik or is it about lying in the non-hierarchical world.