MBA402 - Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability: NAB Code of Conduct

This report presents a comprehensive code of conduct designed for the National Australia Bank (NAB). The report begins with an introduction outlining the importance of a code of conduct in defining a company's mission, values, and ethical standards, followed by a discussion on NAB's operations and services. The core of the report focuses on drafting a code of conduct that addresses key areas including discrimination, exploitation, corruption, dishonest and fraudulent behavior, whistleblower protections, and enforcement mechanisms. The code of conduct provides detailed guidelines and policies to ensure fair treatment of employees, customers, and stakeholders, as well as strategies to prevent unethical practices such as corruption and fraud. The report emphasizes NAB's commitment to professional conduct, integrity, fairness, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It also highlights the importance of privacy, conflict of interest management, and reporting of breaches. The report is supported by a list of references, including academic journals and company policies, demonstrating the research and analysis that underpin the code of conduct's recommendations.

GOVERNANCE, ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY 0
Governance, ethics and sustainability
code of conduct for NABS
System04116
4/23/2019

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
About NABS...............................................................................................................................................2
Code of conduct...........................................................................................................................................2
NABS group new commitments..................................................................................................................2
Discrimination (code of conduct)................................................................................................................3
Exploitation (code of conduct)....................................................................................................................5
Corruption (code of conduct).......................................................................................................................6
Dishonest and fraudulent behavior (code of conduct)..................................................................................6
Whistle blower protection (code of conduct)...............................................................................................7
Enforcement (code of conduct)...................................................................................................................7
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................8
References...................................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
This report discusses about the code of conduct for national Australia bank that reports the
discrimination, dishonest and fraudulent behavior, corruption, whistleblower protections,
exploitation, and enforcement. Code of conduct states the rules, ethical principles, values and
vision for business. It is important to have code of conduct in every organization as it clarifies
the mission of the company, principles and values, connecting them with the standards of
specialized conduct. In this report the code of conduct will be drafted for the national Australia
bank which covers various heads such as national Australia bank’s group obligations, behave
professionally, doing with honesty, reliability and fairness, cope conflicts of interest, meeting
regulatory and legal obligations deliberate commitments and internal standards, adherence to
discretion and privacy requirements, compact with and report on supposed breaches and NABS
policy declaration in the end.
About NABS
National Australia bank limited offers financial services to persons and companies in Australia,
The United States, New Zealand, Asia and The United kingdoms. It functions through customer
banking and wealth, corporate and private banking, business and institutional banking and New
Zealand banking divisions. The NAB accepts deposit accounts, savings accounts, transaction
accounts, term deposits and specialized accounts. It also offers personal loans home loans,
business market and option loans, agribusiness loans, equipment and vehicle loans (NAB,
2018a).
Code of conduct
A code of conduct is a set of guidelines drawing the social standards and rules and duties of or
proper practices for a person or organization (Merritt, 2009).
NABS group new commitments
1. Professionally conduct themselves: they should perform in a professional style which
raises faith self-confidence and generosity in colleagues, clienteles, providers and public
and respects of human rights.

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2. They should perform with integrity, honesty and fairness: they perform with integrity,
honesty and fairness. It should speak up intensify any concerns and admits when they
have made faults. They consider consumer fairness in each decision.
3. They should cope conflict of interests: they guarantee their individual and corporate
benefits never restrict with its capability to create wide-ranging objective decisions.
4. They should encounter their legal and regulatory requirements, intended obligations and
inner ethics: NAB shoould obey with all regulations, laws and codes which are
appropriate to them comprising in-house NAB policies and voluntary obligations.
5. They must follow to privacy requirements: they safeguard private evidence about
clienteles, providers, associates and its corporate matters.
6. They should agree with and address on alleged breach: they consider agreement with and
suitably address on suspected breaches of its code of conduct (NAB, 2018b).
Discrimination (code of conduct)
Discrimination means treating an employees or group of employees in a different way or in a
worse way because of their sex, sexuality, race, caste or skin colors etc. discrimination at
workplace occurs when an employee is badly discriminated against due to number of factors.
The employees are also discriminated against reason of their disabilities, pregnancy or genetic
information or due to their relations with other person.
There various types of discrimination for which code of conduct are drafted such as:
1. Age: age discrimination is a practice which should be protect by law. The NABS should
development job advertisements which must not forbidden from specifying the
preferences of age. The employee of different age must receive the same benefits as other
age group people enjoys. The benefits provided to young employees should not reduce
the benefits provided to older employees in the NAB. The age discrimination in training
programs or internship program must be legal it should not be illegal as it is breach of
policy which is made for NAB (Australian banking association, 2019).
2. Race: race discrimination is the discrimination which is occurred based on the religious
beliefs of the employees. It is not legal to discriminate any employee based on their race
or religions. It is required to rationally accommodate religious of an employee’s belief. In

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doing this it will not result in negative outcomes or cause for the National Australia bank.
It is breach of policies to discriminate employee on their race, caste, belief or religious.
Complying with essence and requirements of laws and regulations, policies procedures
smearing to their role. Grip themselves or others responsible and be out there reproach
for their activities. They must Provide safe and secure working environment and they
should also constitute a breach of anti-discrimination laws. The termination of employee
will occur if the allegation is proved according to the discrimination policy made.
3. Gender: the gender discrimination is the discrimination which is based on the genders of
the men and women in payment of salaries or in performing difficult tasks in the
organization. When salary is paying to men and women of the similar qualifications and
duties or responsibilities, the employees should be forbidden to discriminate men and
women on the basis of their gender. The NABS forbidden from lowering men or women
gender salary in order to equalize the pay amongst the men and women. Equal payment
polices are to be made to avoid discrimination on payment made to male and female
employees.
4. Ethnicity: the ethnicity discrimination occurs when the employees are treated differently
from his or her officemates based on their ethnicity. The ethnicity consists of nationality,
culture or religious groups which they are perceived to belong. It breach the policy of the
company which is made for this section if any employee discriminate other employee
against on his or her nationality, culture and religious group which they belongs to.
5. National origin: the national origin is covered in the type of discrimination on the basis of
which employees are discriminated for their origin or nationality. The employees who
come from other nation must be treated as according to the employee who is from the
same nation of the company otherwise it results in breach of policy for the discrimination
of employee on the basis of national origin (Bell, 2019).
6. Skin color: the skin color is also covered in the discrimination of employees in the
organization. the employees in NAB if discriminate any employees for their color or
complexion they should be punished according to the policies set for the discrimination
as it is not fair to treat employee on the basis of their skin color. Whether person have
black or white skin colour , the employment must be made by considering their skills and

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knowledge and they should also be involved in the advertisements of the company if they
wish to do so for nurturing their inner talent.
Exploitation (code of conduct)
The exploitation is the act or fact of treating employees or group of employees unfairly in order
to get advantage from their work. It is the duty of the organizational managers to see such
exploitation in the company and encounter those problems in an effective and efficient manner
(Evans, 2017).
The code of conduct is drafted for the exploitation in such a way:
1. The employees should not be harassed to accomplish their work they should work
ethically and legally which is fair in relation to the work environment.
2. Treat customers, suppliers, colleagues and community with fairness, dignity and respect
3. View, interconnect or distribute unsuitable, offensive material or sexually overt
4. Feast derogatory, blasphemous, harassing or discriminatory, threatening and abusive
language
5. If they receive unsuitable material, they should instantly delete it and inform the sender
to stop transfer these materials. Accidental linking to an unsuitable website should be
detached directly.
6. Perform lawfully and be clear, respectful and responsible of them, their customer and
their associates and everyone they act together with online
7. An unauthorized distribution or replication of corporate information involving private,
market and customers information which breaks their policies and procedures and might
cause NABS to break its regulatory and legal obligations (Wulf, 2011).
8. They must not make public reports about NAB unless they are authorized to do such by
their team of business communication. They are not legalized to allow external
shutterbugs to take interior pictures of NAB infrastructure without permission from their
team of business communication (Christensen, et al, 2018).
9. They must obtain permission for sponsorships, charitable contributions that provide to
third party on behalf of NAB.

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10. Such crimes can be seem to be in breach of the code of conduct and can perhaps lead to
illegal charges (Jacqueline, 2016).
The code of conduct incorporates the actions of NAB which related to the organization as well as
employees and customers of the NAB in order to eradicate the factors which encourages the
exploitation of the employees and customers of the NAB. It must be sure of that there should be
misuse of human resource or people and confidential information which results in breach of
policy made for this exploitation issues. The people in the organization must be free to work
according to their abilities as they are not forced to work forcefully or for the company’s own
welfare by exploiting the employees in the organization. The policies will force undocumented
migrant employees to remain in the organization (Hill, 2019).
Corruption (code of conduct)
Corruption is the fraudulent or dishonest act by those employees or group of employees in power
which typically involving bribery.
The code of conduct is drafted for corruption:
1. The end of impunity must be there for effective law enforcement. It is important to ensure
the corrupt must be punished and break the impunity cycle or freedom from the loss or
punishment (AnnualReport.com, 2019).
2. The strong legal frame work, independent and effective system of court and branch of
law enforcement must be set for the successful enforcement approaches.
3. The civil societies must be involved which support the process with the initiatives such as
transparency internationals campaign for unmask the corruption.
4. The reforms are set which disclose the budget information that prevents the waste and
misuse of resources in NAB and curbing corruptions (Erwin, 2011).
Dishonest and fraudulent behavior (code of conduct)
They are in charge for the anticipation of fraud and dishonesty. Dishonesty or fraudulent
activities consists deceitful actions that results in actual financial loss or an unjust benefit.
The code of conduct is drafted for the dishonest and fraudulent behavior in NAB:

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1. They must perform with honesty and reliability in their communications with associates and
customers
2. Products and services should be made accessible if they become alert or have cause to
suspect, they must be utilized for illegal or criminal activities.
3. If they suspect dishonest or fraud activity might be occurring or they are pressured by a
client or associate to leave from their policies, state their people leader or report it via the
group whistleblower program or thru fair call services set for this purpose (Francois, 2012).
4. They should not misappropriate or snip. They should not use items to private use or access
evidence without appropriate authority
Whistle blower protection (code of conduct)
The whistle blower protection is the act which protects the employees from retaliatory action for
independently disclosing information about the illegal and dishonest activities occurring in the
organization.
The code of conduct is drafted for whistle blower protection in NAB:
1. They must understand the conduct which protect them from retaliation
2. They must know the decree of limitations
3. They must take notes of every activity which is performed in the organization
4. The employees in the NAB must not give their employee an excuse to fire them.
5. They should consider the quitting only as the last option.
6. File, participate, testify or then help in a proceeding connecting to alleged defilements of
any of the central scam or securities laws defined in the law or reforms (Leonard, 2019).
Enforcement (code of conduct)
Enforcement means the act of persuasive adherence of or compliance with law, obligations or
rules.
The Penalties must be imposed on breaching the code of conduct,
1. Any member’s breach of code and their policies will be coped in accordance with the
member conduct management policy.

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2. The situations presented in code of conduct are only examples. Every circumstance
will be measured in relations of the specific situation and evidences (Stevens, 2008).
3. Proper action will be taken by National Banks after concern of every applicable detail
(Thor, 2015).
Conclusion
From the above draft, it is concluded that having a code of conduct in a well on paper form
clarifies the mission, ideologies and values of the organization by connecting them with
principles of professional conduct. The code enunciates the values of the group which they wish
to raise in leaders and staffs and in conducting such activity outlines desired behavior. The above
report addresses the discrimination, corruption, exploitation, whistleblower protection,
enforcements and fraudulent behavior in their code of conduct. From the report, it is understood
that by making code of conduct in the organization leads to successful business operations
without any unfair or inappropriate practices and laying down under the legal and regulatory
procedures or policies.

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References
AnnualReport.com. (2019) National Australia bank ltd. [Online]. Available from:
http://www.annualreports.com/Company/national-australia-bank-ltd-1 [Accessed: 24/04/2019]
Australian banking association. (2019) Banking code of practice. [Online]. Available from:
https://www.ausbanking.org.au/code/banking-code-of-practice [Accessed: 24/04/2019]
Bell, F. (2019) Culture, conduct and ethics in banking. London: Kogan page.
Christensen, L., Rikhardsson, P., Rohde, C. and Batt, C. (2018) Changes to administrative
controls in banks after the financial crisis. Qualitative Research in Accounting &
Management, 15(2), pp.161-180.
Erwin, P. (2011) Corporate codes of conduct: The effects of code content and quality on ethical
performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(4), pp.535-548.
Evans, P. (2017) The building and construction industry code of conduct (WA). Brief, 44(6),
p.22.
Francois, G. (2012) Editorial code of conduct. Lancet. 379(9814),pp. 31.
Hill, B. (2019) The advantages of ethical behavior in business. [Online]. Available from:
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-ethical-behavior-business-21067.html [Accessed:
24/04/2019]
Jacqueline, C. (2016) Code of conduct. Safety and reliability. 36(2), pp. 124-128.
Leonard, K. (2019) What is the code of business conduct? [Online]. Available from:
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/code-business-conduct-2732.html [Accessed: 24/04/2019]
Merritt, R. (2009) Code of conduct. New York: Kensington publishing corp.

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NAB. (2018a) Annual financial report. [Online]. Available from:
https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/shareholder-centre/financial-disclosuresandreporting/annual-
reports-and-presentations [Accessed: 24/04/2019]
NAB. (2018b) National Australia bank ltd. Code of conduct. [Online]. Available from:
https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/corporate-governance/national-australia-bank-limited-code-of-
conduct [Accessed: 24/04/2019]
Stevens, B. (2008) Corporate ethical codes: Effective instruments for influencing
behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(4), pp.601-609.
Thor, B. (2015) Code of conduct: A thriller. New York: Emily.
Wulf, K. (2011) From codes of conduct to ethics and compliance programs. Berlin: Logos
Verlag.