How to design and implement an effective code of ethics:

28th November, 2008

The ethical issues experienced or likely to be experienced by the organisation or professional association, and its policy on handling them, needs be set out in the code. These issues can be identified in a number of ways – through the use of an external consultant, through interviews of a range of middle to senior management, or through a workshop. Workshops can be designed solely to develop a code, or as part of a wider ethics training program. The ethical issues could be relative mundane, such as the company’s policy on gift giving or receiving, to the more complex.

Read our article on how to design and implement an effective code of ethics for any organisation or profession.

The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Chartered Secretaries of Australia for being first to publish this article:

Bowden, P. and V. Smythe (2008). Making codes of ethics meaningful and effective. Keeping Good Companies. Sydney, Australia, Chartered Secretaries of Australia Ltd. 60: 584-588.



Comments and feedback will be welcomed by the authors.