ABSTRACT

Why do so many ethics codes (a.k.a. codes of conduct, statements of values, mission statements, standards and practices, and so on) do so little good? Codes can help us strengthen ethics in organizations and individuals only if they are rooted in a context of caring within the organization and in the individuals who make up that organization. The caring context is reflected in leaders who model ethical behavior and address ethical issues; in training that focuses on the ethics code, the values it expresses, and its practical implications; in a designated person (e.g., ombudsperson), committee, or office that responds effectively to ethics questions and complaints; in people throughout the organization accepting, respecting, and embracing the code as their own code; in the presence of ethics in the day-to-day planning, decision-making, and questioning as people carry out the work of the organization; and in the way the code and its values are woven into the other aims of the organization (e.g., to make or sell products; provide services; raise awareness and support causes or candidates). This chapter reviews the research on what factors promote or undermine code effectiveness, and provides specific questions to ask in assessing and addressing codes to strengthen organizational ethics.