The Practice Of Integrity In Business

This book explores the role of integrity in business and discusses why all leaders seek to have it. The author argues that it is less about ‘having’ integrity as an attribute, and more about practising it. The Practice of Integrity in Business examines how taking responsibility for ideas, values and practices, as well as accountability and wider creative responsibility for sustaining business, all contribute to the perceived integrity of an organization or business leader. Providing methods through which integrity can be learned, the author demonstrates the importance of practice, learning, dialogue and developing a narrative in forming the basis of trust. The book offers a view of integrity in which ideas, values and practice come together to make business and social sense, and to form the basis of mutual challenge and creativity.

Business integrity is rarely a matter of straight-forward rules. As the nature and geography of business transactions become more complex, managers are required to make judgements and to tackle new ethical dilemmas that are often local and situational. Integrity in Business explores the complex nature of integrity and business and illustrates how organizations have avoided major setbacks to their reputations and value by encouraging integrity. It also examines those organizations that have failed or experienced serious reputational damage due to lack of preparation, lack of transparency and lack of leadership. Frank Holder analyzes how transparency and integrity depend on a state of balance in competition and knowing who you are doing business with. He explains the significance of leadership awareness which, whilst now global, is alert to the need to establish integrity in local markets. Using his research from a review of significant fraud cases, legislative mandates and governmental and nongovernmental initiatives over the past 15 years, the author provides a rigorous and sophisticated guide to understanding and adopting an holistic business integrity strategy- one which has a realistic chance of protecting your organization from the kind of catastrophic loss or reputational damage that can easily be the result of an error of judgement in a world that is increasingly connected and driven by instant and social media.

This book highlights the interconnectedness of integrity with philosophical history, leadership, managerial decision-making, and organizational effectiveness in a wide variety of contexts (e.g., time theft in organizations and family business). Well-known researchers in business ethics from all around the world reframe the literature on integrity in business and management and develop updated and more comprehensive models of integrity. Integrity in Business and Management connects integrity to both ancient thought and the modern philosophy of pragmatism, but also explains how contemporary societal trends may shape the way we think about integrity. The final chapter warns against oversocialized conceptualizations of integrity and argues for a clear differentiation between personal integrity and moral integrity. Aimed at researchers and academics in the fields of business ethics and organizational leadership, Integrity in Business and Management explicates and critiques prior models of managerial integrity in a wide variety of disciplines, covering economics, moral philosophy, business ethics, organizational behavior, sociology, history, and psychology and offers a helpful set of readings in advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses of business ethics, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, and leadership to stimulate discussions about personal integrity, moral integrity, and organizational leadership.

The quest for integrity in business is not only a reaction against malfeasance in business and associated calls for reform but also a search that stems from changes and new demands in the global business environment. Among the sources of these new demands are the expectations of stakeholders that corporations and their leaders will take more active roles as citizens within society and in the fight against some of the most pressing problems in the world, such as poverty, environmental degradation, defending human rights, corruption, and pandemic diseases. This book presents and critically discusses key case studies from all over the world, offering essential insights, practical advice, and guidance for any business leader wishing to lead an organization with reliable and proven integrity. The authors provide valuable research results as well as real teaching tools for faculty and students.

Business integrity is rarely a matter of straight-forward rules. As the nature and geography of business transactions become more complex, managers are required to make judgements and to tackle new ethical dilemmas that are often local and situational. Integrity in Business explores the complex nature of integrity and business and illustrates how organizations have avoided major setbacks to their reputations and value by encouraging integrity. It also examines those organizations that have failed or experienced serious reputational damage due to lack of preparation, lack of transparency and lack of leadership. Frank Holder analyzes how transparency and integrity depend on a state of balance in competition and knowing who you are doing business with. He explains the significance of leadership awareness which, whilst now global, is alert to the need to establish integrity in local markets. Using his research from a review of significant fraud cases, legislative mandates and governmental and nongovernmental initiatives over the past 15 years, the author provides a rigorous and sophisticated guide to understanding and adopting an holistic business integrity strategy- one which has a realistic chance of protecting your organization from the kind of catastrophic loss or reputational damage that can easily be the result of an error of judgement in a world that is increasingly connected and driven by instant and social media.

This volume explores the value of business integrity and ethics as a "best practice" model in business strategy. The authors define business integrity, explore areas in which integrity is often absent or discredited, and provide a framework and tools to help build better business ethics and corporate social responsibility. The volume aims to reveal that beyond the immediate economic effect, corruption can ruin entire countries by destabilizing key economic and political players, warping their vision for state development. Against the backdrop of global financial and ethical crises, the authors argue that integrity in business is a key component for long-term success. Integrity includes the ability to be consistent with one’s moral values and principles and places society’s wishes at the center of business decision-making. The cornerstone upon which a culture of integrity is built within a certain business is the ethics code. It explicitly states the values and principles to which a company adheres. The continuous promotion, support and communication of the ethics code stipulations provide the basis upon which integrity in business is built. Featuring case studies from countries such as Sweden, Great Britain and France and companies such Starbucks, Nike, PSEG, and Anglo-American PLC, this volume provides a comprehensive study of business integrity and social responsibility that will be of interest to students, scholars, professionals and policy-makers from around the world.

For companies, unethical business practices like bribery and corruption pose major business risks, and can result in fines, reputational damage, lost business opportunity and – increasingly – criminal or civil charges.Organizations have responded to this critical governance issue with rigorous formal integrity and compliance frameworks, to set out and enforce standards for ethical business practice. But companies also need to create an enduring culture of integrity that establishes doing the right thing as the cultural norm across the organization – and this requires more than compliance alone.Creating a Culture of Integrity identifies the key actions sustainability and compliance officers can take to foster this cultural shift within their organizations.This "one-stop" toolkit for embedding integrity also includes: inspiring best-practice case studies from companies who’ve implemented culture change, with insights on how they deal with ethical dilemmas when these arise and; powerful arguments to help you make the business case for building a strong ethical culture around your compliance system.

How good companies build a culture of integrity In the present environment of corporate governance brought on by high-profile executive scandals, this book makes a strong case for encouraging business leaders to manage beyond compliance. Achieving the bare minimum of compliance isn't enough. By making corporate responsibility and integrity a strategic priority-rather than something companies are forced to comply with-companies can realize tangible financial returns and benefits. This book provides practical advice, effective tools, and time-tested best practices for approaching corporate integrity strategically and managing an integrity program on a day-to-day basis. There is a growing realization that compliance with the rules is only a minimum standard of performance, and an increasing demand from stakeholders at every level — shareholders, employees, customers along the entire supply chain, consumers, advocacy groups, and the local community at large — for more transparency and accountability from corporations. But most businesses have little experience and few tools to deal with the urgent demand to increase corporate responsibility. Corporate Integrity provides practical tools and proven processes to manage complex integrity dilemmas and support implementation: Explains how to create a culture of integrity in your organization and how to motivate the appropriate corporate behaviors. Coverage includes: How to assess and measure integrity; how to align corporate integrity commitments and actions; how to design and implement dependable and strategic corporate accountability systems and processes; how to develop corporate integrity standards and report on them, and much more. Includes a wealth of practical business tools and best practices that readers can apply to improve the level of corporate integrity in their own company. Features three detailed case studies and numerous other examples that illustrate corporate integrity dilemmas and solutions in action. Shows how managing corporate responsibility strategically and proactively can go beyond a mere public relations exercise to foster a corporate "win" in the court of popular opinion and in the marketplace. Bridges the gaps between corporations, governments, employees, interest groups, and consumers. Offers tools and solutions that apply to both for-profit corporations and non-profit organizations.