business ethics 170
you need to study one organization/company of your own choice (please choose google or starbucks) and do a search pertaining to the topics on the ethical audit list.
1. Write an introduction –
(i) a brief discussion on the background of the company you have selected ;
(ii) a list of major players and changes in the organisation;
(iii) key recent changes (5years) in the industry your chosen company is located for the last 5 years
2. You need to study and discuss the company’s ethical audit in detail
A sample assessment questionnaire for the project follows:
Support by top management
– Has management established an ethical “tone at the top†by setting a good example of ethical conduct, providing positive and open communication, and supporting ethical conduct?
– Is there a designated ethics officer or ethics contact?
– Does the ethics code start with a statement from the CEO/President about his commitment to an ethical culture?
– Does top management positively support the ethics hotline?
Incorporation of ethics at all levels of the organization
– Are supervisors trained as contact points for ethics related questions?
– Is ethics a focus during new employee training?
– Is ethics a focus during supplier selection?
– Is ethics a focus during internal audits?
– Is an ethical culture ingrained in the organization’s brochures, materials, and website?
Components of an Ethics Program
Ethics Code
– Does the organization have a written ethics code?
– Does the ethics code cover key elements, such as conflicts of interest, financial irregularities, and compliance to laws?
– For publicly traded companies, is the ethics code available publicly / on the company’s website
Ethics Training
– Do employees receive ethics training on a regular basis?
– Does ethics training incorporate the company’s ethics code?
Ethics Hotline
– Does the organization have an ethics hotline?
– Is the ethics hotline confidentiality and non-retaliation policy clearly conveyed to employees?
– Does the organization provide ethics hotline information to employees and other shareholders via formats such as postings in break rooms and the company website?
– For publicly traded companies, is the “receipt, retention, and treatment†of ethics hotline reports regarding “questionable accounting or auditing matters†aligned with the Audit Committee
Ethics Awareness
– Is the importance of ethics communicated to all employees on a regular basis via formats such as organization newsletter articles and posters?
– Do the ethics articles cover topics that are interesting, engaging, and in pace with the times?
It is IMto be 10-12 pages
