Steps for Creating a Code of Conduct

Steps for Creating a Code of Conduct

Code of conduct refers to a written document constituting of principles, rules, values. The code of conduct also constitutes of employee’s behaviours and expectations and associations which are considered to be valuable by a company in ensuring the success of the organization. Code of conduct establishes the values and standards which make a company remarkable, making it develop a competitive advantage and stand out from comparable organizations. The organization names its code of conduct, reflecting the present company’s culture and is used in making a statement for the firm. The written document for code of conduct guides employees, stakeholders and customers on what is considered to be necessary, desirable and valued in associations, interactions and the worldview of a company (Erwin, 2011). Code of conduct is used as a framework for making ethical decisions within a company. It is also used as a communication device for informing external and internal stakeholders on what is valued in a particular company, its management and employees. In the merger of UWEAR and PALEDENIM code of conduct will be used in showing essential values, rules and principles of the merger guiding the employees and managers on the expectations of the merger.

Steps for Creating a Code of Conduct

The first step is developing and integrating the company’s code of conduct. Code of ethics should be written by an executive team and is developed by a cross-section of various company employees from different functions. It can also be generated by company development, marketing, company communications, staff for human resource and supplier associations (Sethi, 2016). The executive developing company’s code of conduct depends on the company, management style and internal operation code. In the merger of UWEAR and PALEDENIM, code of conduct for the merger should be developed by the executive team formed by managers and employees from both companies. The second step is the dissemination of the code of conduct. The code of conduct is published and distributed to the employees and the existing and other stakeholders such as the board of directors, suppliers, customers, vendors, and partners as well as the public and potential workers. In this merger of UWEAR and PALEDENIM code of conduct should be published and disseminated to employees, managers, stakeholders, suppliers, customers and the public for both companies. The code of conduct portrays the image the merger wants to display to the stakeholders on what the merger want to be and what stakeholders should expect concerning value-driven treatment.

What Should Be Included In The Code Of Conduct?

Code of conduct should include ethical principles which show expected behaviour in workplaces and respect for all individuals in the company and society. Also, the standard of practice should be included in the code of conduct to show the current procedures and policies and operational manual for the company. Values are also incorporated, which includes the unbiased, honest and unprejudiced working environment. Moreover, code of conduct should consist of disciplinary actions which show specific penalties and handling of complaints about violation of any code. Accountability should be included to show taking responsibility for one’s actions. This ensures the correct utilization of information and practice diligence and role of care duties and eliminates conflicts arising from personal interests (SA, 2015). Code of conduct should incorporate a standard of conduct which states compliance with a description of jobs, commitment to the company and appropriate usage of internet, computer and email.

Impact of Code of Conduct Have on an Organization’s Culture

Development of a purposeful code of conduct creates a commitment atmosphere in a company. Code of conduct is used in establishing a robust cultural foundation for a company and helps the firm in enforcing and implementing ethical and legal procedures and policies for decision making. Appropriate code of conduct helps in creating trust between a company and potential stakeholders impacted by actions of the code including employees, public, customers and suppliers (Erkul, Kaynak & Montiel, 2015). A valid code of conduct helps in developing values of a company which drives the actions of the company and principles determining decision making of the company. Code of conduct helps in improving the workplace environment and acts a team-building activity as it encourages employees in joining the conduct.

Conclusion

Code of conduct is a document showing professional values and standards required for organization employees and other stakeholders. Although the code of conduct deals with conduct, it focuses on the expectations of employees participating in customer-centric activities. It develops company standards by which organization stakeholders are held responsible. It enables the organization to incorporate ethical values into the corporate culture, and the benefits of the code of conduct handled internally and external associations to dictate business expectations.