The Business Ethics Twin-Track: Combining Controls and Culture to Minimise Reputational Risk

The Business Ethics Twin-Track: Combining Controls and Culture to Minimise Reputational Risk

by Steve Giles
Released May 2015
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781118785379

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Book description

Institute a proactive reputational management framework that matches individual behaviour to organizational values

The Business Ethics Twin-Track is a practical guide to reputational risk management. A deep exploration of the concept of reputation, the ways in which it can suffer, and the consequences when it does, the book outlines an ethics controls framework that can mitigate risk and improve business performance. Readers will learn how to identify and manage weaknesses, and how to institute a system of governance that embeds proper, ethical conduct into the corporate culture. A clear set of controls and procedures provides actionable instruction that can be customised to suit the organisational structure, and discussion of historical and international ethics provides the context for implementation. Case studies illustrate the real-world applications, while interviews with executives from a variety of sectors provide important practical insights into some of the key issues discussed in the book.

The law regulates behaviour in health and safety and financial crime, but otherwise, conduct is largely determined by the culture, ethics and values of an organisation. Effective reputation management is complex, and often difficult to achieve, as much of the available information on the topic is more theoretical than practical. This book bridges the gap by providing the tools that will help managers to:

  • Implement a modern ethics control framework, encompassing codes, officers, reporting lines and training

  • Consider the role of the media and social media in reputational damage to individuals and organisations

  • Analyse the key controls in responsibility and governance frameworks from around the world

  • Determine the causes and controls of conduct risk, including incompetence, negligence and criminality

    • Today's fast-paced media environment means corporate reputations can be obliterated in moments, and damage limitation is often too little, too late. Adopting the measures set out in this book will embed ethics into the culture, and match people's behaviours to the organisation's values.

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright
    3. Dedication
    4. Acknowledgements
    5. Prologue
      1. OPENING
      2. ABOUT THE BOOK
      3. MY EXPERIENCE
      4. THE BOOK: KEY MESSAGES
      5. SUMMARY
      6. CLOSING
    6. Chapter One: The ethics project
      1. THE OPPORTUNITY
      2. THE STRONACH GROUP PLC
      3. AN OFFER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
      4. DISCLAIMER
    7. Chapter Two: The business ethics framework
      1. THE ETHICS PROJECT: FIRST WORKSHOP
      2. THE BUSINESS ETHICS FRAMEWORK
      3. KEY TERMS
      4. BUSINESS DILEMMAS
      5. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    8. Chapter Three: Bribery, corruption and adequate procedures
      1. BUSINESS ETHICS IN ACTION: SECOND WORKSHOP
      2. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
      3. CASE STUDY
      4. THE BRIBERY ACT 2010 (UKBA)
      5. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
      6. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    9. Chapter Four: Reputation, risk and conduct
      1. REPUTATIONAL RISK: THIRD WORKSHOP
      2. REPUTATION
      3. THE HUMAN FACTOR: PEOPLE, BEHAVIOUR AND CONDUCT RISK
      4. PEOPLE RISK
      5. CASE STUDY
      6. ETHICAL RISK IN THE STAKEHOLDER BASE
      7. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    10. Chapter Five: The governance dimension
      1. EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE: FOURTH WORKSHOP
      2. WHY GOOD GOVERNANCE MATTERS
      3. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OVERVIEW
      4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODES AND LEGISLATION
      5. THE US POSITION
      6. THE UK POSITION
      7. CREATING AN EFFECTIVE AND TALENTED BOARD
      8. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    11. Chapter Six: Aspects of leadership: ethics, tone at the top and handling a crisis
      1. ETHICAL LEADERSHIP: FIFTH WORKSHOP
      2. LEADERSHIP
      3. THE COMPONENTS OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
      4. HANDLING A CRISIS
      5. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    12. Chapter Seven: Risk, compliance and the controls framework
      1. A THREE-STAGE PROCESS: SIXTH WORKSHOP
      2. RISK MANAGEMENT
      3. COMPLIANCE AND CONTROLS
      4. INTERNAL AUDIT
      5. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    13. Chapter Eight: The business ethics toolbox
      1. ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT: SEVENTH WORKSHOP
      2. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
      3. PAY, BONUSES AND THE BALANCED SCORECARD
      4. THE BUSINESS ETHICS TOOLBOX
      5. ETHICAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
      6. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    14. Chapter Nine: Whistle-blowing: encouraging a culture of openness
      1. CREATING AN OPEN CULTURE: EIGHTH WORKSHOP
      2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO WHISTLE-BLOWING
      3. ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES
      4. THE LAW AS IT APPLIES TO WHISTLE-BLOWING
      5. WHISTLE-BLOWING IN ACTION
      6. THE 10 STEPS
      7. WORKSHOP CONCLUSION
    15. Epilogue
      1. ANOTHER SURPRISE
    16. Index
    17. End User License Agreement

    Product information

    • Title: The Business Ethics Twin-Track: Combining Controls and Culture to Minimise Reputational Risk
    • Author(s): Steve Giles
    • Release date: May 2015
    • Publisher(s): Wiley
    • ISBN: 9781118785379