Business Ethics in the Workplace | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Taking steps to foster a high level of ethics in business practices is something every company — no matter how small — should do. At the very foundation of business ethics is the commitment to treating customers, employees, investors, vendors, distributors and anyone else involved with your organization with honesty and respect. A high level of ethics in business starts at the top with the owner's values and sense of corporate social responsibility, which are then infused into every business process, practice and procedure. Staying true to your moral compass can:

Improve employee morale.
Strengthen customer relationships.
Improve company image in the community.
Give you a competitive edge.
Improve your bottom line.
Create a better workplace with a strong sense of business ethics

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

Define your values

Rely on your personal values to formulate your company's policies on workplace ethics and corporate social responsibility.

I recommend: Take a quiz from the Center for Ethics and Business to reveal your "ethical style." Do some research with organizations dedicated to business ethics.

Develop a workplace ethics policy

Consider how your values relate to your customers, employees, investors, vendors and others. With those values in mind, develop guidelines for your business processes and practices.

I recommend: The Josephson Institute of Ethics is a great non-profit organization that conducts programs and workshops on business ethics. This is the organization that created the "Character Counts!" youth education initiative. The Ethics Resource Center's Ethics Toolkit includes a printer-friendly copy of guidelines on what to include when writing a business ethics policy along with a list of categories you may want to address in your policy.

Get your staff thinking about business ethics

Lead by example and engage employees ethics discussions of business ethics on a regular basis to reinforce your business values.

I recommend: Scroll down on this page from the SBA Web site to find an honesty self-assessment test you can give to your employees to spark discussion of ethics in business. Sign up to receive free and inspiring newsletters and commentary on ethics at CharacterCounts.org.

Get training in corporate social responsibility

Strengthen your understanding of how to implement a business ethics policy and improve your leadership ability with a variety of training opportunities.

I recommend: Sign up for a Webinar on how to create an ethical culture from Working Values or consider corporate social responsibility training from Integrity Interactive, EthicsCoach.com, The Richardson Company or Business.com's list of business ethics consultants or workplace ethics training programs.

Offer tools to resolve business ethics dilemmas

Business owners and employees alike may face tough decisions involving workplace ethics. Arm yourself with ethical decision-making know-how.

I recommend: The Ethics Resource Center offers a six-step guide to making ethical decisions and a template for a pocket-sized card you can give to employees to help them make decisions with a sense of corporate social responsibility.

Promote your business ethics

Share your vision with customers, vendors and others about your commitment to ethical business values.

I recommend: Include your policy in your marketing materials or on your Web site. Online marketers can display their dedication to corporate social responsibility and ethics in business by applying for a Reliability Seal from the Better Business Bureau.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Make sure employees understand the consequences of acting unethically and enforce your business-ethics policy.
Remember that ethics in business begins at the top. Lead by example.
Keep the lines of communication open with employees. Set up a system so employees can report any unethical behavior or concerns about proper workplace ethics.