A framework for ethics in the corporate context
12/14/1999
Defining "business ethics" is challenging enough; this report from KPMG Canada sets out to measure ethics and the way it is perceived and treated within a corporate context. Among the topics looked at by KMPG are: the role of ethics in an organization's success; behaviors and characteristics that mark "ethical organizations;" major ethical issues; and policies and initiatives explicitly focused on promoting ethical practice (including their effectiveness and the motivation for engaging in them). The report (available in pdf format from the KMPG Canada Ethics & Integrity site) is based on a survey sent to more than 1,000 CEOs of Canadian corporations, but in some ways the questions it asked - and the framework they imply - are as useful as the results it got back. The Ethics & Integrity page also includes links to past reports and other information on business ethics from both the Canadian and U.S. practices of KPMG.