Business Ethics Essay

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employers ensure that their employees fully understand ethics and the legal ramifications. Successful ethics training is important in helping employees identify ethical issues and in providing them with the means to address and resolve such issues. Training can educate employees about the firm’s policies and expectations, available resources, support systems, and designated ethics personnel, as well as about relevant laws and regulations and general social standards (Ferrell et al., 2013). The following steps are a good template to be certain that the employees comprehend the code of ethics.

1. Place a formal written statement of the ethical code into new-employee information packets. Require that employees sign an acknowledgement of having received the handbook and a separate acknowledgement for the company’s ethical code.

2. Develop a training module on your code of ethics for use during orientation for new employees. Convey the message that your company’s ethical code is fundamental to employees becoming trusted and valued team players.

3. Make ethics education first on the training agenda for new employees. Hold a meeting that includes HR staff as well as department managers as well as key executives such as the execs in charge of finance, information systems and operations. After each contributor’s discussion on ethics, use role-playing to educate employees on the practical application of the code of ethics during the routine performance of their job duties.

4. Schedule annual refresher training so employees can get updates on your code of ethics. Require employees who receive promotions to complete refresher training as part of their promotion to higher-level positions. Conduct training for all employees whenever your company makes changes to the code of conduct and business ethics, and revise the employee handbook accordingly.

(Mayhew, n.d.).

Although training and communication should reinforce values and provide employees with opportunities to learn about rules, they represent just one aspect of an effective ethics programs. Moreover, ethics training will be ineffective if conducted solely because it is required or because it is something that competing firms are doing (Ferrell et al., 2013).

Implementation Plan

Implementing a code of conduct in the workplace involves communicating the policies and guidelines to all staff and providing any necessary training to ensure they understand the code. Here are some great methods to deliver the code of conduct:

• Induction package – Induction training is a chance for employers and new employees to review and understand expectations and requirements.

• One-on-one training – A business representative could work through the code of conduct and other requirements and expectations with existing employees, one on one.

• Online training – Codes of conduct can be delivered online in a format that allows staff to work through topics at their own pace. After completing the course, staff should be able to print a competency certificate as proof that they understand the code.

• Company intranet – Providing the code of conduct on the company intranet allows all staff to access it when they need to.

• Employee handbook – A printed version of your employee handbook left in a communal area such as a staff room will provide staff easy access to the code of conduct when required.

• Notice boards – A summary version of the full code of conduct can act as a reminder to staff. Different parts of the code can be highlighted in different parts of your office.

• Understanding the code – Get feedback from your staff to ensure that they understand the code of conduct and what is expected of them.

• Accepting the code – Ask staff to sign a document to say that they agree to abide by the code of conduct. This can minimize conflict if an employee violates the code and you need to take disciplinary action.

(Queensland Government, 2013)

A company’s ability to plan and implement ethical business standards depends in part on how it structures and activities to achieve its ethical objectives. People’s attitudes and behavior must be guided by a shared commitment to the business rather than by mere obedience to traditional management authority (Ferrell et al., 2013).

Plan for the Role of Leadership

Organizational ethics programs must have oversight by high ranking persons known to respect legal and ethical standards. Ethics officers are responsible formanaging the organizations’ ethics and legal compliance programs. They are usually liable for:

1. Assessing the needs and risks that an organization wide thics program must address.

2. Developing and distributing a code of conduct or ethics.

3. Conducting training programs for employees.

4. Establishing and maintaining a confidential service to answer employees’ questions about ethical issues.

5. Making sure that the company is in compliance with government regulation.

6. Monitering and auditing ethical conduct.

7. Taking action on possible violations of the company’s code.

8. Reviewing and updating the code.

(Ferrell et al., 2013).

Monitering and Auditing

Monitoring tends to occur within the activity’s operational structure and closer to the underlying activity’s occurrence (Lunday, 2010). It may be conducted by operational management or involve an expert outside of the operational line where the expertise does not exist within the management structure. Auditing generally describes activities that occur further after the fact by parties more independent of the respective operational management, such as an Internal Audit staffer or external auditors (Lunday, 2010). Monitoring and auditing are essential to verify that a business activity actually works and continues to do so. When employees know that they are being monitored and there are routine audits in place they are prone to conduct themselves in a more ethical manner. In the back of their mind they know that someone is watching them and there will be consequences for bad acts. A distinction between monitoring and auditing is important to ensure that operational management cannot improperly bias or overrule the audit of