Researches indicate that a variety of new business risks are surfacing daily, And with those risks comes the
potential for misconduct.
There are lots of rules and guidelines in place to protect customers. But there’s a difference between simply
following regulations and behaving ethically, most successful businesses have taken steps to build a culture where
employees aren’t simply checking boxes, but actively incorporating ethical values daily, in their work, interactions,
ideas and beyond.
So it seems that Culture is very often a root cause of misconduct. However, companies that invest in values and a
culture of integrity usually find these intangibles are there to “backstop inevitable control failures.”
Creating and sustaining a culture of integrity in high-pressure business environments requires constant care that
doesn’t necessarily pay back in money, so it’s neglected and overlooked.
Almost every company talks about it as a core value. Despite this common use, integrity is a fluid concept that
might mean different things.
Here is what Forbes said about what integrity should mean to employees:
• Don’t bend the rules
• Feel heard by supervisors
• Believe top management is honest
• Understand core values
• Can identify risks
• Feel prepared to handle risks
• Can raise concerns
• Would report incidents again
• Are satisfied with the company’s response
– (Forbes Business, 2019)
