E²: Ethical, Effective

Our approach to business ethics brings exponential results

We create an environment where leaders don’t just make good decisions, they make exemplary decisions. Ethical, effective decisions minimize risk and maximize rewards. That way the headlines your company grabs are all about success.

Most companies favor compliance-based ethics. Ironically, an extreme focus on compliance is itself a risk to your organization. It can lead to a narrow view: “As long as it’s legal, it’s proper.” Even when there is no legal liability, charges of wrongdoing inevitably damage the organization’s reputation, undermine its morale, crimp its ability to attract and retain top talent, and divert the energy and time of top management from business development to damage control.

We believe in values-based ethics. From Josephson Institute’s perspective, “wrongdoing” is an ethical concept, not a legal one. Public relations campaigns and educational programs have their roles – and we can help with those – but the most important role we play is helping you shape your corporate culture so values like the Six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) are predominant.

Institute programs are designed to have a meaningful, measurable, and sustainable positive impact on the corporate culture. They are:

Purposeful – clear and explicit objectives should be designed to achieve the stated objectives
Pervasive – value messages must be integrated throughout the company
Consistent – messages must be consistent, clear, and realistic

Objectives – we seek to assure that:

Your organization becomes or remains among the world’s most successful and trustworthy
Your governing board is provided with interesting and practical education about ways to meet their own governance responsibilities and to protect the company’s reputation
Your organization trains, promotes, attracts, and retains a management and employee base with an extraordinary commitment to integrity and ethics
Your management and employees understand their legal (compliance) and moral (ethical) obligations and are committed to assuring that all actions and decisions comply with the letter and spirit of laws and regulations, internal policies, codes of conduct, and ethical standards
Your culture and structural mechanisms shield the company from improper and unethical conduct that could subject the company to reputation damage and costly criminal and civil actions or criticism

Strategies

Establish comprehensive in-service training as well as new recruiting and performance-management systems that stress character and competence.
Promote ethical consciousness, commitment, and decision-making competence.
Establish an initial and ongoing assessment and auditing process of personnel and training programs.
Broaden your educational activities to include a “moral literacy” dimension and instruction on the ethical implications associated with borrowing, making contracts, and the responsible use of money.

Call (800) 711-2670
Find out how we can help you manage risk and create a more effective business.