Guidelines for the Development of an Ethics Safety Net

Large organisations are especially advised to consider the possibility of an Ethics Helpdesk in which all employees and managers can report with all suspected cases of unethical conduct, critical comments, dilemmas and advice for which there is insufficient room within the organisational hierarchy....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kaptein, Muel (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V 2002
In: Journal of business ethics
Year: 2002, Volume: 41, Issue: 3, Pages: 217-234
Further subjects:B internal ethics safety net
B ethics helpdesk
B codes of ethics
B ethics officer
B whistle blowing
B ethics management
B Culture
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Summary:Large organisations are especially advised to consider the possibility of an Ethics Helpdesk in which all employees and managers can report with all suspected cases of unethical conduct, critical comments, dilemmas and advice for which there is insufficient room within the organisational hierarchy. A helpdesk is a central contact point where it is decided who the most appropriate person is to dealing with a given case. The helpdesk model is characterised by low barriers in its easy accessibility, positive approach and the simple procedures employees need to follow. It offers employees consistent support while relying on the responsibilities of the individual employee as much as possible and it facilitates adequate monitoring and reporting. A helpdesk increases the chances of detecting unethical conduct which enables management to take adequate and timely measures against improper conduct. This article formulates principles, discusses critical factors and considers three models for adopting a sound and integrated ethics safety net. It also presents a case study and shows why organisational openness needs to be institutionalised.
ISSN:1573-0697
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1023/A:1021221211283