Ethics Information

How To Build A Business Ethics Program


Recent corporate financial scandals have highlighted the importance of business ethics and legal compliance. Yet a recent National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) survey of 280 corporate CEOs and directors found that "only one of three directors felt that they were highly effective in ensuring legal compliance".

Ethics in Business

Most companies realize that they need to develop and implement a business ethics and compliance program.

An effective program can:

? Establish a code of conduct that reduces risk of criminal behavior

? Detect wrongdoing, foster quick investigations, minimize consequences

? Demonstrate company's ethical/legal philosophy during an investigation

? Reduce fines if company is found guilty of wrongdoing

? Enhance company reputation and stature

Looking at the Options

But how do you build an effective program? Companies find themselves with three options to build the program:

? Develop in-house from scratch

? Hire an external consultant

? Use a pre-written manual

And most of these companies learn a few lessons - sometimes the hard way.

Making a Strong Company Policy

Developing a program from scratch can be very time consuming and costly. Also, the company might not have the knowledge or understanding of the complexity involved. But hiring an external consultant is not always a cost effective option either. So what's left?

Developing Your Business Ethics Program

By using a pre-written template or manual, many companies have found it easier to develop their business ethics program. And to do this, they look for what a strong program needs.

A highly effective tool for creating, organizing and implementing a sound business ethics and compliance program should provide:

? Sample policies and procedures

? Step-by-step instructions for the development of a program

? A business ethics training program outline with classroom materials and a detailed session leader's guide

? Business ethics and compliance officer position description

? Templates for employee involvement

? Sample code of conduct

Implementing Your Business Ethics Program

If the company board has committed to a strong business ethics and compliance program, the next step is to put the manual in the hands of corporate executives responsible for implementation. Used properly under advice of legal counsel, this efficient tool will yield a solid program that the board can understand, endorse, and monitor for effectiveness.

With step-by-step guidelines and accompanying examples of policies, procedures, training program, and employee survey, an effective tool provides an excellent road map for implementing an ethics and compliance initiative.

Maintaining a Culture of Ethics

Companies should make certain that their ethics compliance manual provides fully editable MS Word files with sample policies, surveys, forms and training session outlines. Also, businesses should ensure their ethics compliance system manual is fully endorsed by The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a tool to maintain a culture of integrity.

Chris Anderson is currently the managing director of Bizmanualz, Inc. and co-author of policies and procedures manuals, producing the layout, process design and implementation to increase performance. To learn how to increase your business performance, visit: Bizmanualz, Inc.


MORE RESOURCES:

USA TODAY

Lawmaker's stock trades draw ethics investigation
Boston.com
February 10, 2012|Larry Margasak, AP A new ethics investigation of the House Financial Services Committee chairman's investment activities during the events leading up to and surrounding Congress' $700 billion bailout of Wall Street sets back ...
Dems keeping a close eye on GOP ethics casesTucson Citizen
Speaker Boehner faces ethics dilemma with Bachus investigationThe Hill
Ethics panel looking at lawmaker's stock tradesCBS News
BusinessWeek
all 378 news articles »


Kansas City Star

Britain's media ethics inquiry: the story so far
Boston.com
The first phase of Britain's media ethics inquiry ended this week after 40 days of dramatic hearings that heard from 184 witnesses — celebrities, journalists, editors, academics and lawyers — and revealed wildly differing perspectives on the murky ...
Staff at The Sun tabloid arrested in bribe inquirySeattle Post Intelligencer

all 220 news articles »


Jindal suggests ethics changes
The Daily Advertiser
Bobby Jindal has agreed with the Board of Ethics that some changes are needed to strengthen enforcement and clarify authority to enforce the Code of Ethics. But the governor's plans for change to be filed in the legislative session that starts March 12 ...
Jindal to put forth ethics law packageThe Advocate

all 5 news articles »


9NEWS.com

Ethics case dropped against Rep. Laura Bradford; she says she'll stick with GOP
Denver Post
By Lynn Bartels A 15-day uproar over a lawmaker's traffic stop ended Friday after her peers dismissed a drinking-related ethics complaint against the Mesa County Republican. Rep. Laura Bradford confirmed she wasn't switching parties, and House Speaker ...
Ethics Investigation Dropped In State Rep's Traffic StopKMGH Denver
Bradford ethics probe should go onCanon City Daily Record
Ethics panel to decide whether to continue review of Colo. lawmaker's traffic stopThe Republic
Fox 31 KDVR.com -Grand Junction Sentinel -KKCO-TV
all 28 news articles »


NewsNet5.com

Consultants suggest OSU hire ethics czar: College Notebook
Plain Dealer
By Plain Dealer wire services A report given to an Ohio State Board of Trustees' committee Thursday recommends that the university hire a vice president to oversee a new office and new committee responsible for monitoring ethics and rules compliance ...
Report says Ohio State needs ethics officeFox News
Report: Ohio State needs ethics officeESPN
Report: OSU needs VP for complianceIronton Tribune

all 406 news articles »


Lying to Patients: No Huge Ethical Failure, Says Bioethicist
Medscape
I am Art Caplan, and I am at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Today I would like to talk to you about a pretty thorny subject and one that is fascinating because it is so ethically rich: Should ...

and more »


Sen. Beavers and judges at odds over ethics panel
The Tennessean
AP A plan backed by Tennessee judges that would change the ethics panel that disciplines jurists is at odds with arguably the judiciary's biggest critic in the legislature — Sen. Mae Beavers. The differences in opinion came out this week at a debate ...
Beavers, judges still at oddsWDEF News 12

all 16 news articles »


CBS Local

Md. panel reviewing changes to ethics rules for lawmakers to meet
Washington Post
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A new ethics panel of seven state senators will be meeting to discuss more potential changes to tighten ethics rules for lawmakers. The panel is set to meet on Friday in Annapolis. The panel already is supporting legislation to post ...
Bill would require online disclosureBaltimore Sun (blog)
Ethics panel suggests reducing local disclosureAnnapolis Capital

all 21 news articles »


WABE

Watchdog groups demand more money for ethics board
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Chris Joyner A coalition of watchdog groups said Friday cuts to the state ethics commission's budget have hobbled the agency and resulted in a backlog of unresolved complaints. Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com With the State Capitol in the background, ...
Advocates push for ethics fundingWABE

all 2 news articles »


MLive.com

Ficano revamps ethics policy
Detroit Free Press
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announces an ethics policy only for his appointees. / KATHLEEN GALLIGAN/Detroit Free Press By John Wisely Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced a new ethics policy Thursday, prohibiting actions such as ...
Wayne County Statement on ethics policyWDIV Detroit
Ficano to issue ethics reformsThe Detroit News
Ficano announces ethics reforms in wake of FBI probeMichigan Radio
The Republic
all 32 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006