ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comprehensive 'to do' list for organizations, will argues that three key elements or fundamental building blocks must exist if crime, corruption, and other illegal or unethical activity within organizations is to minimized through developing and sustaining an ethical corporate culture. The starting point for an ethics program is to ensure the existence of a distinct and formal document known as a code of ethics or code of conduct. Reinforcement through newsletters, department meetings, notices, e-mails, or executive speeches, has been suggested as playing a role in code effectiveness. Once an ethical corporate culture is developed, the assumption is that the extent of crime, corruption, and unethical activity within organizations or on behalf of their agents will be minimized. All of these measures are part of developing a comprehensive and effective ethics program.
