Which of the following is NOT a potential cost of unethical behavior?

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Unethical behavior typically erodes trust and cooperation within a workplace. When people question each other’s motives or withhold information, relationships deteriorate and open, honest communication suffers. That breakdown in trust and communication creates real costs: work gets done more slowly, collaboration falters, and decisions are less effective because people aren’t sharing necessary information.

The idea that productivity would rise because individuals engage in self-protective, defensive behaviors doesn’t align with how organizations operate. Defensiveness tends to fragment teams, waste time on guarding against exposure, and create silos, all of which harm overall efficiency rather than boost it. So that option isn’t a cost of unethical behavior, making it the correct choice for what is NOT a potential cost.