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Ethics And Codes Of Conduct

5 September 2007

Ethics and Codes
of Conduct

A reputation and track record for ethics and integrity are vital for establishing trust. Trust is the basis for all successful business relationships. Ethics are basically defined as the knowledge of right from wrong. As a culture we use those ethics in a variety of ways, Business, religion and even our own personal lives. Businesses use tools or models to direct their thinking, these models are know as Codes of ethics. A Code of ethics is a formal statement of the organization's values regarding ethics and social issues. Businesses need these codes to ensure they are keeping in mind what is best for the stakeholder as well as the bottom line.
There are three main functions of these codes 1. They ensure the companies policies and procedures continue to be aligned with ethical principles. 2. They clearly communicate ethical expectations. 3. They provide multiple channels for feedback through which people may ask questions, voice concerns and seek resolutions to ethical issues. A Code is not a mission statement, a mission statement expresses why a company exists. It is not a detailed list of how to handle individual issues, simply a guide to follow as one carries out their responsibilities.
There are many approaches and formats. There is no one perfect way for a code to written . Deciding what goes into a code will first take an examination into what key purposes you want your code to serve. Whether you want it to focus on specific types of individual conduct or on more general standards. How the code will operate with existing policies for staff and its board members. One also must determine who will be involved in drafting the code. One approach to this would be to assign an "ethics tack force" or a committee ensuring to include all levels of staff representatives. This approach not only ensures a thorough document, it also helps to make the code...

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