Final answer:
Managers can influence employees to act unethically by setting bad examples themselves, not enforcing ethical standards, or accepting lower standards than the employees would naturally hold.
Step-by-step explanation:
Managers can encourage employees to act less than ethically by acting unethically themselves, not enforcing ethical behavior, or accepting lower standards than the employees hold for themselves.
When a manager acts unethically, it sets a precedent for employees to follow, which can lead to an overall decline in the ethical standards of the organization.
Similarly, if a manager does not enforce ethical behavior, employees may feel that such behavior is not important or may go unpunished, thus acting less ethically.
Moreover, if a manager accepts lower standards, it can signal to employees that cutting corners or engaging in unethical behavior is acceptable to meet company goals or objectives, which further erodes ethical standards.