Unethical practices can damage a company’s reputation – what are the challenges in preventing it?
“Just one incident of unethical behavior can ruin a company’s reputation that it has spent years building,” Dilys Boey, Asean People Advisory Services Leader, Ernst & Young Advisory told HRD.
And the likelihood of that behaviour occurring could be higher than you think.
“In the EY 14th Global Fraud Survey, almost half (42%) of all respondents globally could justify unethical behavior to meet financial targets,” Boey said.
To combat this threat, an ethical culture must be sponsored by the board and visibly led by the CEO and the corporate development function, she said.
The survey also revealed that almost one in two respondents believe that boards need to gain a more detailed understanding of the business in order to effectively safeguard against unethical practices.
Challenging unethical bahviour then, requires reaching out to each and every employee.
“The need to continually reinforce what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviors is in itself a challenge,” Boey explained.
“Moreover, what constitutes acceptable behaviors varies across cultures and business environments – companies that do business across boundaries have this added complexity in embedding a consistent ethical culture across borders.”
Support and understanding at the board level will be a great aid to HR’s efforts, according to Boey.
This support is a key enabler in underpinning values, and executing the right performance frameworks and practices that drive the right behaviors in the organisation.
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And the likelihood of that behaviour occurring could be higher than you think.
“In the EY 14th Global Fraud Survey, almost half (42%) of all respondents globally could justify unethical behavior to meet financial targets,” Boey said.
To combat this threat, an ethical culture must be sponsored by the board and visibly led by the CEO and the corporate development function, she said.
The survey also revealed that almost one in two respondents believe that boards need to gain a more detailed understanding of the business in order to effectively safeguard against unethical practices.
Challenging unethical bahviour then, requires reaching out to each and every employee.
“The need to continually reinforce what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviors is in itself a challenge,” Boey explained.
“Moreover, what constitutes acceptable behaviors varies across cultures and business environments – companies that do business across boundaries have this added complexity in embedding a consistent ethical culture across borders.”
Support and understanding at the board level will be a great aid to HR’s efforts, according to Boey.
This support is a key enabler in underpinning values, and executing the right performance frameworks and practices that drive the right behaviors in the organisation.
Related stories:
What are the risks of taking your employer brand online?
How to create an ethical culture in your organisation
Why your performance management system might not be working
