University: Ethics and Responsibility - Code of Ethics Policy Report

This report focuses on the development of a code of ethics policy for an organization, emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct and responsibility in the workplace. It begins by defining a code of ethics as a document containing moral rules designed to guide professionals in conducting themselves with integrity. The report outlines the scope of a code of ethics, including employee conduct, business ethics, and professional practice. It categorizes codes of ethics into compliance-based, value-based, and professional codes. The report then details key components of a code of ethics, such as professional appearance, confidentiality, promoting green business practices, caring and considerate behavior, integrity, protecting assets, avoiding conflicts of interest, and professional behavior. It provides practical examples of how these elements can be implemented within an organization. Finally, the report includes a list of relevant references to support the information presented.

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DEVELOPMENT OF A CODE OF ETHICS POLICY FOR AN ORGANIZATION
Student’s Name:
University Affiliation:

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INTRODUCTION
Scholars have defined code of ethics as a document containing moral rules that are
designed specifically in an attempt to help professionals in conducting themselves and business
activities with integrity and honestly (Brandl, & Maguire, 2002). Code of ethics entails the
mission, vision and values of the organization, outlines how professionals are required to
approach problems that arise at work place and also the ethical moral rules which are based on
the organization’s core values and standards of the profession (Verbos et al. 2007). The scope of
a code of ethics includes areas such as employees’ code of conduct, business ethics and a code of
professional practice.
Code of ethics may be broken down into three categories (Schwartz, 2004). These are;
 Compliance-Based Code of Ethics- this sets guidelines for ethical conduct and penalties
in case of violation of the guidelines.
 Value-Based Code of Ethics- this outlines the required standards of responsible conduct
in relation to the environment and the public at large and the.
 Code of Ethics among Professionals- this mainly relates to financial advisors who are
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are bound by a code of
ethics known as fiduciary duty. They are required by the law to act in the best interest of
their clients.
Code of Ethics
A code of ethics guiding activities in an organization may be as outlined below (Organisation,
2010);
 Professional Appearance
A company can come up with a dress code which may include a suit and tie for certain classes of
employees and casual clothing on Fridays since a person’s dress code is part of the value-based
code of ethics section. It can also be made a requirement that employees’ clothing should be
clean and pressed. A professional appearance is significant when employees interact with
customers.

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 Confidentiality and privacy policies
Employees are required to maintain confidentiality when dealing with private and personal
information from customers. They are also expected to keep company secrets from being
accessed by unauthorized persons. They should also not use confidential information to their
own advantage.
 Promoting Green Business Practices
This is achieved by limiting paperwork and recycling, proper waste disposal and use of products
that reduce carbon emission. Products should also follow specific environmental safety
standards.
 Caring and Considerate
Employees should demonstrate care and consideration when conducting business activities since
by so doing, chances of getting new customers are increased.
 Conducting Oneself with Integrity
Employees are expected to be straightforward and honest in professional and business
relationships. They should avoid cases of bribery and corruption as much as possible.
 Protecting the Organization’s Assets
Employees should conduct themselves in a way to always protect the organization’s assets
including physical, electronic and digital assets.
 Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
It is important that employees avoid situations that will compromise their ability to make
objective and fair decisions since an organization’s reputation depends on the actions and
integrity of its employees.
 Professional Behavior
Employees should always obey the available rules and regulations and avoid actions that harm
the good reputation of the profession

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References
Brandl, P., & Maguire, M. (2002). Codes of ethics: A primer on their purpose, development, and
use. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 25(4), 8.
Organisation, N. Z. N. (2010). Code of ethics. New Zealand Nurses Organisation.
Schwartz, M. S. (2004). Effective corporate codes of ethics: Perceptions of code users. Journal
of business ethics, 55(4), 321-341.
Verbos, A. K., Gerard, J. A., Forshey, P. R., Harding, C. S., & Miller, J. S. (2007). The positive
ethical organization: Enacting a living code of ethics and ethical organizational
identity. Journal of Business Ethics, 76(1), 17-33.