National Australia Bank: Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the governance, ethics, and sustainability practices of the National Australia Bank (NAB). It begins with an introduction to NAB and its commitment to ethical conduct, emphasizing the importance of a code of conduct in maintaining integrity and fairness. The report then delves into specific aspects of the code of conduct, including its stance on discrimination, detailing how the bank addresses issues of bias and ensures respectful treatment of all stakeholders. It further examines the bank's policies against exploitation, corruption, and dishonest behavior, highlighting the consequences of such actions. The report also discusses the importance of whistleblower protection and the enforcement mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with the code of conduct. Through case examples and policy analysis, the report underscores the significance of ethical standards in maintaining the bank's reputation and ensuring its long-term sustainability. The report concludes by summarizing the key aspects of governance, ethics and sustainability within NAB.

Running Head: Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability
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NATIONALAUSTRALIA BANK
Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability
4/22/2019

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 1
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Code of conduct for NationalAustralia Bank..................................................................................3
Discrimination.................................................................................................................................4
Exploitation......................................................................................................................................4
Corruption........................................................................................................................................5
Dishonest.........................................................................................................................................5
Fraudulent Behavior........................................................................................................................6
Whistleblower protection.................................................................................................................7
Enforcement.....................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 2
Introduction
In Australia, there are many financial institutions but the National Australia Bank is the fourth
largest. The Bank has the headquarter in Melbourne, Australia and was founded in 1982. The
Australian Bank earns the higher revenue by doing a large number of the activities of the
customers, capitalization and the earnings (Short, et al., 2012). To maintain the consistency and
the accuracy in the Bank has committed that they will follow all the ethical things and makes the
environment socio-economic. The Banks' beliefs that there should be a proper code of conduct
adopted in the company so that the honesty, integrity, fairness, respect can be maintained. This
report major emphasis on the certain code of conducts which is required for the proper
functioning of the company.
For taking the effective decisions in the company, it is important to follow the code of conduct,
as it is the guide or the reference, which clarifies the values, standards and principles. Code of
conduct helps in maintains the relationship between the customers, clients and the vendors of the
company. Code of the conduct clarifies the mission of the company and articulates in the desired
manner (Hassan, et al., 2014). Code of the conduct encourages ethics and teaches the employees
how to deal with the ethical manner with the customers and the clients.

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 3
Code of conduct for National Australia Bank
The code of the conduct of the National Australian Bank outlines the standards of the ethical and
the responsibility conduct, which is expected from every employee, directors, consultants and the
contractors. In the business environment, it is important to treat equally to the customers and the
employees with respect and dignity. Code of the conduct of the National Australian Bank beliefs
that they manage the conflicts of the interest, act with the integrity, honesty, and fairness, they
meet with all the regulatory and legal obligations and also keep the information confidential and
private (Booth and Whelan, 2014).
However, due to some past years, the company is facing some issues through which the revenue
has declined. The major issue is related to the online infrastructure and with the mobile app, as it
was not correctly displaying the balances according to internet Banking. The customers are
getting the problem in their debit and credit card. Therefore, the Bank decided to convert their
technology in the more reliable and efficient manner so that the customers can rely on the Bank.
The major reason for the transformation is cloud technology. Many complaints were coming
from the customers and the online Banking was also failing so the Bank decided to make the
proper code of the conduct so that integrity and honesty can be maintained in the organization.

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 4
Discrimination
Discrimination takes place when the person is treated on the base of the attributes and the
characteristics such as parental status, gender, sexuality, marital status, etc. As per the code of
conduct there should be no discrimination should take place as it is against the code of the
conduct. There should be no discrimination be made between the religion, gender, handicap, etc.
every member of the organization whether it is colleagues, employees, customers, they should be
treated properly with the full of the dignity, respect, honesty, and fairness. In the Bank there
should be no biases, discrimination should be made, and no offensive material should be used
(Komić, et al., 2015).
In the working environment, it is important for the employees to work with full of discipline and
follow all the policies and procedures of the company to maintain ethical working. In NAB one
of the employee, David has breached the policy of Discrimination and the Harassment. As he
was behaving unethically with her coworker Priya so its employment was terminated. Priya has
raised the complaint against him that he has consumed a large amount of alcohol and try to
sexually harass her which sin opt the acceptable behavior in the working environment
(Avgerinou, et al., 2017). So action taken by the employee David is against the law and working
environment so strictly, the action is taken against him and his employment was terminated.
The working environment of the NAB should be secure and safe from the allegations of the
breach. If any action is taken against the law and if there is a breach of the Anti-Discrimination
law than strict action has been taken by the company. As per the code of conduct, there should be
no discrimination between the employees in the bank.
Exploitation
Explication in the working place can be defined as when the person is treated unfairly and the
benefit of his or her work is given to the other. Exploitation is also against the laws so if any
customer or the employee is treated with the “unfair manner than it is against the code of the
conduct. In any organization, any unethical work or exploitation of the employees is not allowed,
as it is unfair for the employees and the customers (Pierce, et al.,2014).

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 5
The employees should not make exploitation of the debt and credit card of the employees. They
should not provide any confidential information to the other customers as it is against the laws.
Any services provided by the Bank to the employees should not be used for their personal gain.
The customers give the money to the Bank with full of trust so it should not be used for any
unethical purpose (Doran and Hornibrook, 2016). The Banks should not be involved in the
process of the money laundering, as it was the unethical work. If any employee of the Bank
exploits the customers in the abusing language than strictly, actions are taken against them. As
per the code of the conduct there should be no exploitation of the employees ad it is against the
ethics.
Corruption
In the working organization of the NAB, any work, which is dishonest and fraudulent, is against
law and it is considered as the criminal activity. Mostly corrupted crimes are done in the Bank
such as the bribery. As per the code of conduct, any work done by the organization should be
free from the corrupted and the fraudulent activity. Any activities, which are corrupted and
fraudulent, are involved in dishonest actions and cause much loss to the Banks.
Many employees of the Bank do many corrupted activities such as the theft of the money or the
data, destroying the documents, bribery, etc. so if any employees or the clients are found which
are doing such as illegal acts then they are liable for the certain obligations. They can also be
suspected from the company and strictly, actions are taken against them (Howell, 2015).
The company for the customers sets the policy of the Anti-Bribery and corruptions so that the
legal and the regulatory requirements must be compiled. This policy also helps the customers
from preventing the bribery and corruption and helpful for the company in minimizing the
fraudulent act. For maintaining the good working environment, this policy is required so that
alert to the unusual activities of the customers can be done. As per the code of conduct there
should be no corrupted activities performed in the company as it is considered as the criminal
activity.

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 6
Dishonest
Any dishonesty in the working organization is against ethics and laws. In the Banks, there should
be important to maintain honesty as it ensures positive working. In the company, if any work is
going on with the dishonesty that it is against the law through which the misconduct can happen
in the Bank (Sain, et al., 2016). In the organization dishonesty in the work can be included such
as lying to the company, absence of presence, theft in the working place or any kind of cheating,
etc.
Honesty in the working organization is very important as it brings positive attributes such as
fairness, trust, and sincerity. The employer Jason breached the code of the conduct as he told a
lie to the company (Munsie and Pera, 2014). He was absent in the company and given the
medical certificate and when this certificate clarifies by the leader with the doctor, then he was
unable to confirm the dates. Jason has given the false medical certificate and for that purpose, his
employment was terminated as it was the dishonest act.
In the company, if any dishonest act is caused then it creates the loss to the company, which may
be the reason for the termination also. National Australian Bank states that the code of conduct
should be done in a professional manner so that act of integrity, honesty, and fairness can be
maintained in the Bank. NABs acts in dealing with customers with full of honesty so that fraud
activities can be prevented.
Fraudulent Behavior
If any act was done by the NAB in a fraudulent manner than, it against the business ethics and
the code of the conduct. In the National Australian Bank, the code of conduct is required so that
the employees can maintain good behavior and positive working environment can be conducted.
If in the working organization any work is happening which is fraudulent or unethical than it is
not acceptable. If in the company, any activity is happening in a fraudulent manner than it should
be reported to the senior authority as it is criminal or the illegal activity which can cause huge
damage to the company (Mangala and Kumari, 2015).
If in the company any fraudulent activity is happening than the person who is detecting it to their
senior authorities as if they fail to report the activities of fraud should report it is also considered
as the fraud. Fraudulent activity is highly punishable in the organization. The NAB also adopted

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 7
the policy of the Anti- Fraud Policy, which detect the financial crimes in the Bank and prevent
the company from fraudulent activities (Techera and Klein, 2013).
In the Bank, generally, employees do the fraudulent activity by obtaining the assets, money and
the other property and by giving the confidential information to the other person. By using the
code of conduct, the Banks can be prevented from the misconduct activities. Many frauds are
also analyzed in online activities so the company has created the policy to prevent them.
Whistleblower protection
It is the act, which prevents the company from any fraudulent activity, corrupted actions or any
government illegality. It protects federal employees from illegal activities by exposing
misconduct information. As per the code of conduct of the company, if any activities happening
in the company, which is not complaining about the proper rules, and regulations are not deemed
with the ethical and the legal things than it should be directly reported by the employees to the
Whistleblower Program (Coopes, 2016).
If any employees of the Bank are aware of the misconduct and still they are not reporting to the
Whistleblower program for any misconduct activities, than they may be suspected and higher
panelized from the company. As these activities are not tolerated by the NABs so strict, actions
were taken against the employees to perform the better functioning of the company. Code of the
conduct helps the employees on the Banks to comply with the certain obligations, which helps
them in protecting the data of the employees (Banks, 2015).
Enforcement
National Australian Bank requires law enforcement activities to comply with the rules and
regulations in the duly consent manner. Code of conduct plays a crucial role in the company in
deriving the authorities and activities of the employees. In the Banks, the primary responsibility
is of the police officer, which was the representative of the government (Ko, 2012).
In the Banks, there are many financial activities, which have to properly manage and functioned
so this enforcement law helps the company in doing effective behavior in the company. As per

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 8
the code of the ethics and conduct of the AFMA, the rules and the policies are required in the
company so that the positive working can be maintained in the working environment.
Conclusion
It has been concluded that the code of ethics is very essential in the National Australian Bank for
the proper functioning of the work and to maintain the ethical standards. Code of ethics maintain
a positive environment and prevents the company from any misconduct activities. As the
National Australian Bank deals with the many financial things, so it is important to work with
honesty, integrity, and fairness. In this report, the company was facing certain issues related to
online transactions and many other problems, which is stated. To solve those issues the code of
conduct is maintained so that the proper enthusiasm can be maintained in the working
organization.
To maintain the consistency and the accuracy in the Banks have committed that they will follow
all the ethical things and make the environment socio-economic. Code of conduct helps the
company in developing the standards of the customers and the employees and helps in meeting
with the regulatory obligations. Code of conduct is helpful for the NAB as it ensures that the
activities which will be happening in the company will be ethical and free from any fraud,
misconduct and the unethical activities.

Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 9
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Governance, Ethics, and Sustainability 10
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