At the core of any company is its organization ethics. Without a clear guideline of how to do business a company can get lost in the quest for profits. While profits are one of the primary goals, if you establish strong business ethics groups within the company then the revenue will usually follow. Other businesses want to work with companies that they trust. If your company can institute a robust business ethics organizations education and training program, this will help your company image as well as in cash flow.

The vehicles through which you can attain business ethics organizations education and training range from university classes to consultants to management websites. Business ethics associations can also provide excellent framework upon which to build a company. Most companies are only as good as the service or product they provide. A breakdown in business ethics can damage the credibility of these services or products. However, before you start pursuing any educational opportunities there are a few items to consider:

1. Review ethics in an organization guides available online.

2. Contact consulting groups about organizational business ethics.

3. Enroll in college courses that consist of business ethics group training.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Examine the different types of business ethics guides

Business ethics is not something the naturally occurs within an organization. It's a culture that you and your employees need to build from the ground up. At the ground level are your core business principles. Internet guides can help educate you on the basics of business ethics on which you build a solid ethical structure.

I recommend: Evaluate the ethics guides at Authenticity Consulting and Business Training Media. These guides are only the beginning of the ethics education and training process.

Use consulting groups for organizational ethics training

Sometimes the best training option is to use companies that specialize in a particular -- in this case ethics. They bring years of experience to the table and know most every business ethics problem.

I recommend: Contact a representative at the Ethical Leadership Group for training and education on business ethics. Assess the training classes offered at Redhawk Ethics.

Utilize corporate ethics organizations training classes at the university level

Most local colleges and business schools have at least a few classes on business organizational ethics. Some even provide degrees in ethical training. This route is usually less expensive than hiring a consultant but can lack in quality, depending on the university and the professor.

I recommend: Examine the business ethics course offerings at Eastern Michigan University and The Chicago School.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ethics in business organizations are only as good as the employees implementing them on a daily basis. Therefore, you can establish all the guidelines you want, but it's imperative that you and your employees follow and believe in them.

Ethics in an organization, whether a small business or big corporation, fosters good and wise business practices. Companies must guard their reputation against illegal or questionable practices. Problems, conflicts and other issues arise within the workplace or with the customer, which means business must incorporate ethics as a core value for proper solutions.

Joining a business ethics organization not only demonstrates your concern for ethical values, but opens up networking opportunities, sharing information, accessing resources and receiving support or help for business situations in this realm. Applying ethics to your business improves society, increases job satisfaction, strengthens teamwork, keeps lawsuits away, enhances success in a global and diverse business world and provides a good business reputation. Consider the following reasons for membership:

1. Join an ethics organization that provides resources to enhance your business model.

2. Consider joining other like minded business people concerned about a better world.

3. Receive newsletters, journals and other information written by academic and business professionals.

4. Take your corporation to a higher ethical standard in a global economy.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find business ethics associations that fit your core values

Associations typically hold conferences for training and resources that enhance different types of business ethics. Membership fees vary.

I recommend: Join CRT (Caux Round Table) that promotes moral capitalism through involvement, volunteer efforts, and support. Consider the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics that facilitates communication and joint ventures with businesses and nonprofits among other benefits. Check out membership and valuable benefits with the Council for Ethical Leadership.

Locate business ethics groups that share your values

Membership in a business ethics group strives to involve its members in a wide range of venues. Your business stays connected with similar minded business people.

I recommend: If interested in joining an ethical group focused on economic strategies and actions to solve environmental and social issues join the Co-op America Foundation, Inc. For computer professionals, consider CPSR (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility).

Join business ethics organizations that offer resources

Some organizations provide a forum for scholars and others in the business world. These organizations provide research and applications of ethics to business management. The members share information and hold regional meetings, workshops and training.

I recommend: Click “Members” to join the Society for Business Ethics, an organization for scholars and anyone interested in business ethics. Membership includes newsletters, journals, resources and an annual meeting. Consider applying at The Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct if your business contracts or subcontracts with the Department of Defense. Click “How to Join” to view requirements. Join the Center for Ethical Business Cultures that focuses on maintaining ethical and business cultures at all levels. Get accreditation by joining the Better Business Bureau, typically at the local level.

Consider corporate ethics organizations that help with compliance

A corporate ethics organization focuses on governance programs within the corporation. They hold conferences and offer resources. Some businesses maintain an office that oversees ethical programs with an Ethics Officer at the head.

I recommend: Obtain corporate membership or associate membership for nonprofits at Business for Social Responsibility that focuses on a just and sustainable global economy through ethical values, communities, environment, people and business of all sizes. For business individuals with a designated assigned role in administering programs involving ethics and compliance consider having your corporation apply for membership with ECOA (Ethics & Compliance Officer Association). Check out the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE) to help your business move toward a compliance workplace.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Your business or organization ethics start at the top and work downward to the employees. Some ethics associations and societies offer membership for your employees. This helps build teamwork with your business model's core values.

When it comes to working with business ethics organizations, key terms can help you understand the primary goals. In some cases, an organization may focus its services on helping a company incorporate social capitalism. Others might focus on defining values, establishing a moral compass or creating virtue. Understanding these terms helps you determine whether or not an organization will direct your company in the way you want it to go.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Values

Many business ethics organizations focus their services around values. In its most basic form, a value is something that causes an emotional response in a person, business or social group. Business ethics companies want to create positive common values among people in a business relationship.

I recommend: Pavlina provides a list of 374 values a person can have. It also provides tools to help you learn more about the term.

Virtue

Business ethics organizations make virtue a priority. Virtue entails acting in a responsible way that upholds your idea of morals in any given situation. Philosophical experts tend to define virtue in different ways, but most rely on Aristotle's philosophy, which defines virtue as a state of character.

I recommend: The Center for Business Ethics at Loyola Marymount University hosts "Why Virtue," a downloadable PDF guide that expands upon this business ethnic key term. 5min provides a video that discusses virtue, as defined by Aristotle, in today's terms.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate citizenship

Corporate social responsibility, also known as corporate citizenship, requires a business to align its activities to the expectations of its stakeholders. According to business ethics organizations, these expectations should include social, economic and environmental qualities.

I recommend: Starbucks provides information on how it is working to become a CSR company. Along with its mission statement, the company provides links to other information pertaining to its CSR efforts.

Moral compass

The term moral compass indicates the ways in which a person's morals affect his or her decisions. Business ethics organizations strive to help business owners and leaders develop a moral compass that promotes trust. Some organizations go so far as to define the principles-such as integrity, responsibility, forgiveness and compassion-a business leader needs to incorporate into his or her life in order to have the correct moral compass.

I recommend: MoralCompass.com provides tools to help you evaluate your moral compass. These tools include an overview of the business ethics organization key term and a free self-assessment test.

Stakeholders

When it comes to business ethics, many organizations define this differently from common definitions. In terms of business ethics, a stakeholder becomes any person with financial relationship to the company. This includes not only stockholders, but also employees and their families and other investors.

I recommend: Distance Consulting provides an abstract analyzing the Stockholder Scorecard. It includes stakeholders from a variety of different perspectives and relationships as they pertain to a company.

Moral capitalism

Moral capitalism, known as global capitalism by some business ethic organizations, involves restructuring the principles of a business to create a desire for all people in the business to act in a moral, or virtuous, way. It calls on owners, CEOs and other management to set an example of putting the good of the company above the desire to increase their own bank account at the expense of the company or its employees or shareholders.

I recommend: Hellenic Communication Service considers whether or not moral capitalism is possible in today's market. Caux Round Table, an organization dedicated to moral capitalism, defines the principles it feels should become a global standard used to define global capitalism.

Business ethics organizations concern themselves with questions about what is right and wrong when it comes to business practices and decide to choose what is right every time. It also describes what an individual should do, as well as, how an organization should act when faced with ethical dilemmas.

Some basic criteria business ethics groups deal with include making truthful decisions; making sure management’s decision are going to affect everyone fairly; ensuring the actions bring goodwill to the organization and guaranteeing the decision will be beneficial to all those who have a vested interest in the outcome. If the all of these criteria are met, then it is more likely the decision is an ethical one. An organization which devotes itself to these questions is an excellent place to start your education. Consider the following resources to advance your knowledge of business ethics:

1. Find out about all the different business ethics organizations and how to contact them.

2. Attend a conference where you can make a lot of contacts in a short amount of time.

3. Read blogs and on line magazines to help you stay abreast of trends in organizational ethics.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Review a list of business ethics associations and consultants

Joining a business ethics group is a good way to start your program of business ethics organizations for beginners. These types of ethics organizations can afford you with a myriad of opportunities to learn from experts and do some networking for future learning. Also, consider attending a campus-based program where you can attend lectures.

I recommend: The International Business Ethics Institute has a business primer which outlines and discusses various aspects of business ethics. The Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University is one of the world’s leading research and education institutes in the field of organization ethics. EthicsWeb provides a lengthy list of institutions and consultants.

Get an up to date overview of the different types of business ethics at a conference

The Conference Board has a yearly conference on this topic. You can see the most recent agenda on their website to get a sense of some of the discussed topics that you might want to learn more about. There are also international organizations that concern themselves with ethics in an organization and attending a conference in Europe can really expand your knowledge base.

I recommend: See The Conference Board agenda for a good idea of specific topics which are discussed at a conference. The European Business Ethics Network is a non-profit organization comprised of a cross-cultural network and it offers an annual conference in Europe.

Locate some good quality blogs and online magazines on organizational ethics

Blogs and online magazines can provide insights into organizational business ethics. They offer the reader a web-based approach to information, cutting-edge analysis and opinion on business ethics organizations. By utilizing them, you can stay informed on the latest news on ethics in business organizations.

I recommend: One of the 50 best blogs on the topic can be found at Ethics Resource Center. Business Ethics is the magazine for corporate responsibility.