Embedding ethics in corporate culture: a practical guide to minimising reputational risk

In today’s fast-paced media environment, corporate reputations can be damaged or even destroyed in a matter of moments. Reputational risk management can no longer be simply a reactive process of damage limitation. Instead, companies must discourage risky behaviours, and make themselves more resilient to damage by embedding good ethics and a healthy business culture within the organisation. But how is this best achieved?

Embedding Ethics in Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Minimising Reputational Riskand Improving Resilience provides practical advice on how to identify risks and weaknesses, and clearly sets out the controls and procedures needed to manage and mitigate them. Tools are provided, which can be used to ensure that proper, ethical conduct is embedded within the culture. Case studies and interviews are used to compare and contrast examples of poor performance with best practices elsewhere.

Key topics covered include: Law and regulation, compliance and the consequences of failure; Reputation; Business ethics within the organization; Resiliency and crisis management, media, and social media; The relationship between governance and ethics; responsibility and governance frameworks around the world; key governance controls; Conduct risk; Key controls; whistleblowing hotlines, training, communication and awareness raising. Designing an effective training programme; Embedding behaviour through charters and codes.

By adopting the measures and controls set out in this book, managers and directors will achieve greater assurance that good business ethics are an integral part of the culture of their organization, and that the behaviour of their people matches the values of their business.