Training in Ethics
Training and communication programs for employees and stakeholders make organizational ethics transparent. You should view resources for such programs as an investment, not a cost, because they build trust and long-term relationships.
Setting out the goals
Even the most thorough training program cannot hope to cover every ethical issue that an employee may encounter. It should, however, equip staff with the confidence to make decisions in line with organizational standards. It should create awareness of key risk areas, inform employees of appropriate contacts for ethical issues, educate them about the rewards for ethical conduct and the consequences of unethical conduct, and set out the benefits to the whole organization of maintaining standards. You can deliver ethical training in a number of ways, each with its own advantages and challenges.
Pros and cons of different training methods
| Delivery | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures and presentations | Reach a large number of people; quick to implement | Trainees are passive and do not experience multiple viewpoints |
| Case studies and scenarios | Generate discussion and participation | Can have too narrow a focus in the issues addressed |
| Role playing | Highly interactive and insightful | Some people may be unwilling to participate |
| Videos | Realism | Too specific and not participative |
| Computer training | Easy to implement and highly flexible | Limited opportunity for discussion and interaction |
Benefits of training for an ethical destination
To empower employees to make decisions based on organizational principles and ethical values.
To communicate organizational standards to employees.
To communicate the organization’s responsibilities and duties, and the need to be accountable and comply with standards.
To help create a culture of openness in dealing with ethical issues.
To ensure employees and agents understand their ethical responsibility in the context of their job.
To explain the organizational resources devoted to creating and maintaining ethical conduct.
To encourage individuals to seek advice and information when unsure of the appropriate organizational response in a situation.
To communicate an organization’s areas of risk.
To set out the ethical issues that the organization is facing and to explain the business case for an ethics program.