A code of ethics calls for all stakeholders to act in a moral manner. A common ethical problem, though, is determining which actions are moral and which are not. Many companies implement a code of ethics in their organization. Owners and executive managers must determine how well employees within the organization follow this code. Systematic inquires among workers can help a company's management make this discovery. After the discovery phase, a company must then decide whether corrective action is necessary to bolster the code of ethics.
Instructions
1. Gather workers into a conference room. Keep groups separate by division, department or employee classification, such as management and regular employees.
2. Present the group with a situation that requires them to use or reference the company's code of ethics. Do not allow them to review the code of ethics before presenting solutions.
3. Write down the actions discussed by the group. Note the group's final solution provided to solve the presented situation.
4. Compare the solution to the company's code of ethics. Present an inquiry as to why or why not the group followed the code of ethics.
5. Ask what the group can do differently by following the code of ethics. Request the group to identify who the company must ultimately answer to under ethical situations, such as management or customers.
6. Discuss the focus of the organization's code of ethics. Inquire what changes may be necessary to improve the code or help managers and workers follow it for decision-making purposes.
