By Mark S. Putnam
A fundamental principle of corporate ethics is fairness. Ethical people play fairly. They respect the rules, judge circumstances by ethical criteria, and follow through appropriately. In a competitive business climate, the ethical lines are blurred by the urgency to make the sale, outmaneuver the competition, and leverage anything and everything to close the deal. The big question is how you can stand by the principle of fair business dealing when it seems so advantageous not to.
What makes our modern business culture so successful is that there are rules that govern how we do business so that everyone who plays has a shot at winning. The government does this through regulation and legislation such as antitrust and anti-corruption laws. Businesses do this by abiding by industry standards, clarifying ethical codes and procedures, and raising the bar for ethical business conduct through a corporate compliance program. Although there is no guarantee of success in the areas of corporate business ethics, there is a reasonable assurance that everyone is playing by the same rules. This is fine and good, but how should we operate in a world where some play by the rules and others do not?
You must first accept the basic moral principle that fair and honest business practices are the best options simply because they are the right things to do . It goes much deeper than another corporate compliance program. Corporate ethics and compliance programs only go so far. When it comes to corporate ethics issues, you have to decide to take the moral high ground even if you're the only honest person in sight. Corporate ethics and compliance programs help but they need to be based in solid principles of host and fair business dealings. Of course, corporate ethics is more easily said than done.
But corporate ethics issues don't have to feel this way. Being able to stand up for good corporate ethics in an unfair world can be done successfully if you truly understand the scope and the power you have when you adopt honesty and integrity as your model for work and corporate ethics business.
Understand that playing fairly in a corporate business ethics arena does not automatically put you in a weaker position. It is a myth that people who do things by the book are handicapped because they can't take a back door around obstacles. On the contrary, an honestly run corporate business is something that you can leverage to your advantage. Honesty and corporate ethics and compliance program can actually add value to your corporation like money in the bank. In today's corporate business ethics culture a good reputation puts you head and shoulders above the rest. Trust is something that most customers will pay dearly for. How much would you pay for an honest car mechanic, contractor, or financial planner? The knowledge that you deal fairly and honestly with your customers is a commodity that has significant value. Be proud of it. Hang your hat on it and make it your motto and signature. Know that your fair corporate ethics practices can put you in a position of strength rather that weakness. Your corporate ethics and compliance programs can make the difference. Don't loose heart with corporate ethics issues. You can work fairly in an unfair corporate ethics world. An honest corporate business ethics model can be a successful business model. An honest work ethic can achieve far greater things than a dishonest one. |
