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A framework for ethical behaviour
Ethical behaviour is fundamental to the performance and reputation of organisations. Organisations make commitments to ethical values and high standards of behaviour which are frequently embodied in their codes of conduct, policies, financial statements, press releases and other publicity.
Sometimes, however, these commitments are not translated into the operations of the organisation. Some organisations are using the ethics issue as a public relations (PR) exercise and are only paying it lip-service. Other organisations, especially those operating globally, may find it a real challenge to embed ethics in the decision-making process of their organisation.
Behaving ethically in organisations, if taken seriously, is a standing challenge but one that's worth trying to meet, as Marianne M Jennings notes in the article, Beware of the signs of ethical collapse.