A common source of ethical insensitivity is a legalistic attitude toward ethics that says that if an action is legal or within some set of “rules,” then it’s acceptable and therefore ethical. The prevalence of this notion explains why so many people accused of wrongdoing hide behind technical interpretations of the law. They boast that they were not indicted or …
Creating an Ethical Workplace Culture
Setting up an ethical workplace culture is more involved than drafting a values statement, setting policy or training programs ensure employees and vendors are knowledgeable about the rules. Ethical workplace cultures are ones that make it far easier to do the right thing and much harder to do the wrong thing. Unfortunately, the problem is many business cultures make it …
Including the Six Pillars of Character in Your Company’s Ethics Code
An ethical code of conduct must arise naturally from the company’s stated values and should provide detailed guidance for handling ethical challenges. General principles without specific provisions risk being perceived by employees as just window dressing and may breed cynicism rather than commitment. Though provisions must be specific and clear, an ethics code should cover a lot of ground. The …