Ethics and Corporate Governance PDF

ETHICS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate Governance pertains to the systems of rules, processes, and practices by which companies are controlled, usually it is managed by the companies' board of directors. \- Corporate governance outlines a company's ethical beliefs and guides its activities and...

ETHICS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate Governance pertains to the systems of rules, processes, and practices by which companies are controlled, usually it is managed by the companies' board of directors. \- Corporate governance outlines a company's ethical beliefs and guides its activities and goals, impacting daily operations and management. It helps ensure a balance between the needs of various stakeholders, including financiers, employees, shareholders, and customers. Effective corporate governance fosters ethical business practices, contributing to financial stability. Additionally, strong corporate social responsibility standards can enhance a company's reputation and stakeholder value. When Ethics is talked about, it usually pertains to the person's moralities and principles that govern the person's behavior. Ethics in Corporate Governance on the other hand, Ethics deals with the company's values, decision-making processes, and practices. Ethics inside a company involves establishing structures, policies, and procedures that promote ethical conduct and preserving the stakeholder's interests. \- Ethics is essential to a company, guiding its moral compass and supporting responsible decision-making. It fosters an environment of integrity, trust, and transparency. Moreover, ethics and corporate governance are interconnected, ensuring that organizations balance shareholder value with the pursuit of profits, without compromising ethical standards. The importance of good standards of corporate social responsibility and achieving good standards can enhance the organization by: Protecting and enhancing reputation, brand and trust; Attracting, motivating and retaining talent; Managing and mitigating risk; Improving operational and cost efficiency; Giving the business a licence to operate; Developing new business opportunities; Creating a more secure and prosperous operating environment. SUPPLY CHAIN AND ETHICAL TRADING Supply chain refers to the entire process of producing and delivering a product, from sourcing raw materials to reaching the end customer. Ethical trading ensures that this process is conducted fairly and responsibly, focusing on the welfare of workers, environmental sustainability, and fair practices throughout the supply chain. Failure to ensure appropriate ethical behaviour is increasingly recognized as a major business risk. Social media and press reports describing bribery and other forms of dishonesty have serious consequences for corporate reputation and future profits. \- Easy access to information online can lead to organizations being investigated for unethical trading or unfair treatment of suppliers, especially if reports go viral. If unethical actions cross into illegal territory, they can severely damage the organization. Engaging in or condoning illegal activities, like bribing officials, is both unethical and against governance rules, leading to serious consequences. There are several areas where unethical trading can result in damage to reputation, the loss of future profitability and a refusal on the part of the customers and suppliers to deal with the organization. These issues include: Failure to comply with rules and regulations; Trading with undesirable overseas governments; Excessive payments to political parties; Tax evasion or dubious tax arrangements; Inappropriate criticism of competitors; False allegations against competitors; Unethical alliances with competitors. Positive reporting on corporate social responsibility issues can be a significant benefit for an organization. \- Organizations operating in areas of public skepticism may struggle with trust, particularly if their sector lacks broad support. Developing an ethics policy can help address this issue, and conducting an ethics audit further strengthens the organization\'s commitment to ethical behavior. Many organizations now include comments on corporate social responsibility in their annual report and accounts, and some produce a separate CSR supplement. \- Producing a report on CSR activities allows an organization to highlight its positive achievements, moving from a need for reform to demonstrating compliance with CSR standards. IMPORTANCE OF REPUTATION Reputation is fundamentally important to organizations and they should make sure that they understand the basis of their reputation. Reputation is based on the size, nature and complexity of an organization, but it is useful to put more structure into what makes a good reputation. \- Reputation is vital for organizations because it affects how they are perceived by customers, partners, and the public. A good reputation typically relies on several key factors like; product quality, customer experience, integrity, community engagement, and effective communication. The four main components of reputation (CASE) are as listed below: Capabilities, including purpose and resources; Activities, including processes and finances; Standards, including services/products and support; Ethics, including values