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.

---

Financial Projections in Business Plans

One of the most difficult sections to write in a business plan is the proforma and financial sections. After all it is most difficult to what exact... Read More

Brain Development and Due Process

DUE PROCESSAfricans, especially Nigerians are stereotyped on the internet and offline in foreign countries as corrupt, cheats and thieves.Whenever I have to introduce myself to foreign contacts,... Read More

Minding Your Global Manners

To say that today's business environment is becoming increasingly more global is to state the obvious. Meetings, phone calls and conferences are held all over the world... Read More

Ethics in Business - Please Have Some

Is your business ethical?What I mean is "Does your business do the right thing when faced with that decision?" It's a simple question, which many businesses struggle... Read More

Is Good Neighborliness Good Business?

[Note: This story is not a criticism of Buddhism. It is a story of neighborly love.]Introduction He was the least likely of neighbors to do this thing,... Read More

Business Ethics: An Oxymoron

An oxymoron: the juxtaposition of contradictory words or concepts. That is what we have with the term "Business Ethics". The very contradiction that is inherent in this... Read More

The Need to Survive; A Death Knell For Organizations

Changing the driving force upon which business decisions are based is crucial in order to not only restore ethics in business but to truly improve the lives... Read More

Dont Hate Them Because Theyre Beautiful

Tonight I'm going out with two extremely impressive ladies who I am introducing to one another. They are both GORGEOUS, in their mid 20s and both incredibly... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Diversity And Success, In The Workplace

This article relates to the Diversity in the Workplace Competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency explores whether your organization provides understanding and supports interaction... Read More

Business Ethics: How The Sales Function Can Transmit Company Values

I recently got a "thank-you" call from a man who read my new e-book Buying Facilitation."Boy," he said, "this method sure helps me close more deals and... Read More

The Three Schools of Business Ethics

G. Richard Shell, author of Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People, identifies three primary schools of ethics in negotiation. To me, they are equally valuable... Read More

Business Ethics: The Law of Corporate Karma

According to the shamanic traditions, the great mystery of being is that all things are alive and have a level of intelligence. This is because all things... Read More

No Credit is Due: Bad Telemarketing

Just a few minutes ago I was debating what to write about this week -- something interesting, perhaps, or maybe it was about time to give some... Read More

What is a Ponzi Scheme?

This is for those who don't believe me when I talk about the dangers of "mystery money" schemes.The terms "pyramid scheme" and "Ponzi scheme" are used almost... Read More

Laws and Ethics?. Who?s Kidding Who?

Years ago I read an article by a renowned psychologist wherein he wrote his studies found one percent of all human beings would never lie, cheat or... Read More