how do you convince a CEO/ Board of directors that ethics are vital to the organsiation?
From South Africa, Randburg
1From South Africa, Randburg
Don't. It is not the job of employees to educate the CEO. I am being realistic and not sarcastic. Yes, you may provide feedback that the present practices are unethical - but be real careful about the manner of your feedback.
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
Dear Colleagues,
There is nothing like having high business ethics in our different business environments.
Basically, the Board of a Company is responsible to the Regulatory Bodies of their Countries when they err or go wrong in their dealings it is the duty of the employees to complain to such authorities.
For instance tax invasion-you can call the Tax authorities to investigate such matters.
When a CEO decides to offer or give bribe to get a contract/bid and you as an HR person is aware it is left for you to bring it to his knowledge that "people can only win by righteousness".
This things might sound out of this world but we need to start doing the right things locally and globally as well- not so far away in our recent past is Erron and Anderson, in as much as I want to avoid mentioning of names, these two are in the global public domain, so I am forgiven.
Further more even in our respective internal business environments we should try our best to be fair to all employees by having standards and keeping to such.
What can help us achieve this is by publishing and releasing to Staffers, Employee Handbooks that states without any ambiguities what their rights are and their limitations as well as the Company's Board.
By extention the CEO/Board should be tutored on business ethics and the long term effects on their Company and image, they could be getting away with such immoralities and unethical dealings but the word nemesis does exist for nothing-it would someday, somehow, somewhere catch-up with them.
Let me just rest may submission here by saying that we should draw a line between legality and morality.
Cheers
Afolabi Ajayi
From Nigeria, Lagos
There is nothing like having high business ethics in our different business environments.
Basically, the Board of a Company is responsible to the Regulatory Bodies of their Countries when they err or go wrong in their dealings it is the duty of the employees to complain to such authorities.
For instance tax invasion-you can call the Tax authorities to investigate such matters.
When a CEO decides to offer or give bribe to get a contract/bid and you as an HR person is aware it is left for you to bring it to his knowledge that "people can only win by righteousness".
This things might sound out of this world but we need to start doing the right things locally and globally as well- not so far away in our recent past is Erron and Anderson, in as much as I want to avoid mentioning of names, these two are in the global public domain, so I am forgiven.
Further more even in our respective internal business environments we should try our best to be fair to all employees by having standards and keeping to such.
What can help us achieve this is by publishing and releasing to Staffers, Employee Handbooks that states without any ambiguities what their rights are and their limitations as well as the Company's Board.
By extention the CEO/Board should be tutored on business ethics and the long term effects on their Company and image, they could be getting away with such immoralities and unethical dealings but the word nemesis does exist for nothing-it would someday, somehow, somewhere catch-up with them.
Let me just rest may submission here by saying that we should draw a line between legality and morality.
Cheers
Afolabi Ajayi
From Nigeria, Lagos
Hi!
Although business ethics is now a universal subject, I would like to believe that its actual application and implementation in corporate premises is still largely cultural in trait and dimension, if not vague and "metaphysical".
I have seen companies with specially formulated Code of Business Ethics, aside from their handbook's Code of Discipline. Although both are similar in intent, the target client seems to be different in some organizations. The Code of Business Ethics tend to apply more for managerial and executive employees while the Code of Discipline applies to supervisory and rank and file employees.
However, I am not sure whether these materials apply to the owners and shareholders of the company. To me, this is where the ethical dilemma comes in. Maybe, in publicly listed companies, where shares are controlled by many stockholders, the level of professionalization and ethical practices can be increased.
In family and closed corporation, the owners normally play the role of gods and goddesses.
Ethical practices would sway with the level of morality and professionalism they would want seen in their companies. Small fries must dance and sway with them. Anyway, they are the ones accountable to regulating bodies in their respective places of business operation.
Crusaders in family and closed companies may not find themselves in good work environment if they campaign against the wishes of their corporate gods and goddesses.
Best wishes.
Ed Llarena, Jr.
Managing Partner
Emilla Consulting
From Philippines, Parañaque
Although business ethics is now a universal subject, I would like to believe that its actual application and implementation in corporate premises is still largely cultural in trait and dimension, if not vague and "metaphysical".
I have seen companies with specially formulated Code of Business Ethics, aside from their handbook's Code of Discipline. Although both are similar in intent, the target client seems to be different in some organizations. The Code of Business Ethics tend to apply more for managerial and executive employees while the Code of Discipline applies to supervisory and rank and file employees.
However, I am not sure whether these materials apply to the owners and shareholders of the company. To me, this is where the ethical dilemma comes in. Maybe, in publicly listed companies, where shares are controlled by many stockholders, the level of professionalization and ethical practices can be increased.
In family and closed corporation, the owners normally play the role of gods and goddesses.
Ethical practices would sway with the level of morality and professionalism they would want seen in their companies. Small fries must dance and sway with them. Anyway, they are the ones accountable to regulating bodies in their respective places of business operation.
Crusaders in family and closed companies may not find themselves in good work environment if they campaign against the wishes of their corporate gods and goddesses.
Best wishes.
Ed Llarena, Jr.
Managing Partner
Emilla Consulting
From Philippines, Parañaque
well, it depends on the organization strucuture.
My last company had a legal cell and an Ombudsperson allocated. There were also drop-boxes where you can drop in your complaint.
From an organization point of view, it makes a lot of sense to have a Business Ethic Declaration signed by everyone (at least senior management), since their decisions are related mostly to finances and budgets.
From an employee point-of-view, i would suggest that either they follow their own discretion in labelling any senior management's activity (since they can easily be termed as "Whistle-Blower", with very nast repercussions) or live with the thought that they have to live with it.
Otherwise, as Mr. Big B mentioned once "If Rape is inevtiable, lie back and enjoy it"........
\just my 2 cents
From India, Mumbai
My last company had a legal cell and an Ombudsperson allocated. There were also drop-boxes where you can drop in your complaint.
From an organization point of view, it makes a lot of sense to have a Business Ethic Declaration signed by everyone (at least senior management), since their decisions are related mostly to finances and budgets.
From an employee point-of-view, i would suggest that either they follow their own discretion in labelling any senior management's activity (since they can easily be termed as "Whistle-Blower", with very nast repercussions) or live with the thought that they have to live with it.
Otherwise, as Mr. Big B mentioned once "If Rape is inevtiable, lie back and enjoy it"........
\just my 2 cents
From India, Mumbai
BUSINESS ETHICS
CEO is responsible for implmenting / driving the business
ethics throughout the organization.
You must not just present the code of ethics to the
CEO, but sell him along with the benefits.
Secondly , when you sell , sell him along with an action plan
for implementation.
Just telling as a piece of philosophy , will not help your case.
regards
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
CEO is responsible for implmenting / driving the business
ethics throughout the organization.
You must not just present the code of ethics to the
CEO, but sell him along with the benefits.
Secondly , when you sell , sell him along with an action plan
for implementation.
Just telling as a piece of philosophy , will not help your case.
regards
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
Business Ethics :
it is one of the interesting topic to look on.
Ethical act becomes Ethical when it is consider as Ethical in the environment around us. once it was consider bad to attract the customer of other company as unethical. but as the business environment changed the trying to attract others customer is also become ethical. so not only the CEO of the company is reponsible for this. the environment around him will tell what he considers are ethical and what not as ethical.
From India, Vadodara
it is one of the interesting topic to look on.
Ethical act becomes Ethical when it is consider as Ethical in the environment around us. once it was consider bad to attract the customer of other company as unethical. but as the business environment changed the trying to attract others customer is also become ethical. so not only the CEO of the company is reponsible for this. the environment around him will tell what he considers are ethical and what not as ethical.
From India, Vadodara
Why do you want to do that? Is his activities unethical?
I agree with Mindskill - don't talk of ethics to an unethical person (and specially if he/she is rich and powerful too).
"Shoot the messenger" principle is likely to be applied. You need to decide how long you're gonna stay there and how far is your involvement gonna be in CEO's decisions.
Ideally CEO should be the one to teach and preach ethics. I read somewhere that it is very difficult to teach ethics to anyone past the age of 10.
I agree with Mindskill - don't talk of ethics to an unethical person (and specially if he/she is rich and powerful too).
"Shoot the messenger" principle is likely to be applied. You need to decide how long you're gonna stay there and how far is your involvement gonna be in CEO's decisions.
Ideally CEO should be the one to teach and preach ethics. I read somewhere that it is very difficult to teach ethics to anyone past the age of 10.
hey,
i totally agree with the point of view that trying to convince a CEO if he is a believer in unethical practices otherwise would be a exercise of beating ones head against a wall.... only you would come out bleeding and the wall will not budge...
having said that... probably you could just give example of companies that were once considered as blue chip companies have now perished (eg. Enron) or whose value has faltered over the years due their unethical practices....
Also you culd give example of how being ethical will add immense value to the goodwill enjoyed by the company inturn increase your standing in the market or even yr market share price value.... u have numerous american examples of the same.. wherein emperical studies have been conducted, where ethically run companies have done better than the one's that were unethical... indian examples could be TATA's or Infosys.
not sure if it culd really bring about a change in your Ceo's mindset... but one can always try....
All the Best!!!
warm regards
-anjali
From India, Agartala
i totally agree with the point of view that trying to convince a CEO if he is a believer in unethical practices otherwise would be a exercise of beating ones head against a wall.... only you would come out bleeding and the wall will not budge...
having said that... probably you could just give example of companies that were once considered as blue chip companies have now perished (eg. Enron) or whose value has faltered over the years due their unethical practices....
Also you culd give example of how being ethical will add immense value to the goodwill enjoyed by the company inturn increase your standing in the market or even yr market share price value.... u have numerous american examples of the same.. wherein emperical studies have been conducted, where ethically run companies have done better than the one's that were unethical... indian examples could be TATA's or Infosys.
not sure if it culd really bring about a change in your Ceo's mindset... but one can always try....
All the Best!!!
warm regards
-anjali
From India, Agartala
Dear Friends,
Good day to you.
The question of convincing a CEO the need for ethics in business sounds amusing. Business houses - whether small, medium or large - are started with a purpose in mind. Most of the time, wealth maximisation is the end goal.
It is in the way that this goal is achieved that makes one company different from the other. Companies that have withstood the ravages of a changing time / economy / political environment etc are ones that have their base on values & high ethical standards.
Standard Operating Environment (SOE) is what is 'acceptable' inside the company & many a time this becomes the norm / culture of the company. Before endorsing this norm / culture the company management should ponder upon what kind of image it potrays of the company to both internal / external stakeholders.
More recently, even the govt machinery is gearing up to introduce laws governing ethical standards (you must have heard about Clause 49). Thus companies that want to have a future, need to foster - preferably by choice - a culture that encourages high ethical standards.
Some of the ways of doing this would be through a standard Code of Conduct, policies like Whistle Blower, Sexual Harassment etc.......
__________________________________________________ _________
Balaji Ganapathy
Human Resources
TATA Consultancy Services Ltd.
Good day to you.
The question of convincing a CEO the need for ethics in business sounds amusing. Business houses - whether small, medium or large - are started with a purpose in mind. Most of the time, wealth maximisation is the end goal.
It is in the way that this goal is achieved that makes one company different from the other. Companies that have withstood the ravages of a changing time / economy / political environment etc are ones that have their base on values & high ethical standards.
Standard Operating Environment (SOE) is what is 'acceptable' inside the company & many a time this becomes the norm / culture of the company. Before endorsing this norm / culture the company management should ponder upon what kind of image it potrays of the company to both internal / external stakeholders.
More recently, even the govt machinery is gearing up to introduce laws governing ethical standards (you must have heard about Clause 49). Thus companies that want to have a future, need to foster - preferably by choice - a culture that encourages high ethical standards.
Some of the ways of doing this would be through a standard Code of Conduct, policies like Whistle Blower, Sexual Harassment etc.......
__________________________________________________ _________
Balaji Ganapathy
Human Resources
TATA Consultancy Services Ltd.
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