The first in the history of our civilization appeared a medical code of ethics - the Hippocratic oath. Subsequently, the very idea of introducing general rules to which all people of a certain profession would be subject became widespread, but codes are usually adopted based on one specific enterprise. This practice is widespread in the Western powers, but it came to us relatively recently.
Relevance of the issue
To this day, some believe that codes of ethics are nothing more than a concession to investors from other countries who want to see rules for communication among subordinates in a Russian enterprise that correspond to the standards introduced at home. Others are convinced that codes are just a tribute to fashion. There are people who are convinced that entrepreneurs implement codes in order to maximize the efficiency of the work process and increase the profit received from the company.
Practice has shown that codes of ethics are an effective tool tohandle multiple tasks. So far, it has not been possible to create some standardized approach to the development of such codes. If the task is to form a document that would subordinate internal processes within a certain enterprise, you should first study which codes already exist, how they differ. Relatively useful classification systems have been developed - they can also be a source of important information for a businessman who plans to formulate his own unique code and implement it in his business.
Theory and practice
The Code of Ethics is a combination of rules, regulations that subjugate the behavior of a certain group of people. The document contains templates, models in which the actions of the entire team should fit. The developers of the code necessarily pay special attention to the aspects of collaboration, prescribe what are the standards of relationships between group members.
The first professional collection of rules has already been mentioned above, but universal codes were developed even earlier. As a rule, they were conditioned by religion and contained commandments, prohibitions on certain actions. It was precisely such a universal code that applied to everyone and everyone in Christianity that became the Ten Commandments. The eastern neighbors had a samurai code, to which all representatives of this class without exception were obliged to obey. Private collections of rules appeared somewhat later, certain similar ones existed in both European and Muslimpowers.
Is it necessary?
For a long time, for people, the code of ethics is a method of controlling the behavior of an individual, subject to a number of certain external factors, circumstances. The need to develop private codes was explained by the presence in the life of certain groups of people and such situations for the regulation of which there were no norms in the generally accepted rules - ordinary people do not need this at all. Private codes of conduct are based on generally accepted norms, but are compiled more specifically, taking into account the specifics of the field of activity.
In modern times, most often they talk about professional, corporate collections of rules of conduct. Which of these types is more significant is determined in each specific case individually, taking into account the peculiarities of the organizational structure of the enterprise and the professional affiliation of the person. A professional code of ethics helps to regulate relationships within a group of people working in this field. This is especially important for areas of activity, whose representatives are often forced to deal with ethical dilemmas. Doctors are a classic example, and it is not for nothing that the Hippocratic Oath became the first code. Nowadays, collections of rules of conduct and relationships between lawyers, real estate specialists, journalists, and psychiatrists are of exceptional importance. The more the workflow content influences the ethical dilemmas people face, the more important codes become to them.
Special Benefits
Professional code of ethicsdescribes how in a particular situation, which is difficult to assess the ethics of different strategies of behavior, it is necessary to act. Having such a code is a method of raising public opinion about the work. People have much more confidence in those who work by adhering to such a set of rules of conduct. In many respects, due to the code, people feel more strongly belonging to the chosen profession. For some, the moment of adoption of the code is a kind of initiation, a ritual event, a kind of conversion of a person.
The need to adopt the norms of an ethical code is largely related to the difficulties that arise in the lives of people involved in the field of entrepreneurship. Any business unites a certain number of interested individuals, and each has its own interests that are not consistent with those inherent in others. Entrepreneurship involves the economic relationship of the customer, buyer, invited worker, shareholder, supplier, rival, manager. There are many stakeholders, and a manager who strives for the effective operation of the company must take into account the totality of interests.
About problems
The principles of a code of ethics help an employee cope with a situation in which he is influenced by different people at the same time, and each has some requirements that contradict others. So, there is always a discrepancy between the interests of the client and the enterprise: if a company would like to sell a product that is not as high quality as stated, how will it end? Is it possible to do so? For the company, the primary goal is to maximize profits, but at the same time - to attract as much as possiblemore clients. Any enterprise is interested in success and prosperity. The client wants to have an accurate idea of the qualities of the purchased goods, and in his interests - the maximum possible awareness of the object.
However, the code of ethics of an employee does not always affect moral problems. Often, for example, an enterprise that has simultaneously covered the markets of different countries makes a decision about where to launch a new product at first, and where - in the second wave. There is no moral aspect in such a choice. But the quality parameters of products supplied to developed and developing countries - this is a problem related to morality. Forming the rules of corporate ethics, specialists determine what are the priorities of all stakeholders, how to reconcile their interests with the greatest benefit for themselves.
Functionality
The employee code of ethics is adopted by the company to ensure the company's good reputation, simplify the management of the company and enhance corporate culture. It is proved that the presence of such a code allows you to inspire confidence among the reference communities, that is, people with whom, in one way or another, the activities of the enterprise are connected. To some extent, the code becomes a means of PR for the company, helps to make it attractive to investors, and not just clients. Nowadays, such codes have become the standard at the world level, they are considered mandatory for any company that wants to succeed.
As can be seen from the practice of Russian enterprises, firms in Belarus, Kazakhstan, ethic althe code helps managers to work more efficiently, since the documentation regulates the behavior of staff in a situation associated with a difficult morale. The increase in efficiency is associated with setting and limiting priorities, which must be remembered when working with any external object. The code fixes what behaviors are impossible, how to make a decision if difficult circumstances arise.
Ethics and culture
The Code of Ethics for civil servants, employees of private enterprises, institutions of various kinds is an element of corporate culture. The priorities and rules fixed in the official order help to raise the culture within the enterprise. Through the code, the leadership gets the opportunity to convey to everyone what the core values are, as well as to orient the entire recruited staff towards achieving the same goals. This helps to make the corporate identity stronger and more pronounced, while also having a positive effect on the commercial success of the enterprise.
How to form?
It so happened that in Russia the Code of Ethics is a novelty for many, and although business leaders are interested in its implementation, they do not know how and where to start developing the document. Experts assure that the content of the official set of rules should be selected based on the structure of the company, the features of the work process and the goals that need to be achieved in order for the company to move to a new stage of development. In many ways, the wording of the code depends on the attitudes of the management team. Usuallythe document is divided into two parts, the first is devoted to ideology, indicating the values and mission of the company, the second is made normative, clearly describing the standards that staff behavior must obey. In some cases, the first part is omitted altogether.
Many Russian enterprises that adopt codes of ethics for their work are professionally homogenous. A good example is banking structures or firms specializing in consulting. Among these organizations, codes have become widespread that describe in as much detail as possible the dilemmas that employees often face. Such codes are based on previously formed communities of professionals in the field. The content of the document is devoted to how a hired person should behave when they find themselves in a difficult situation, from the point of view of human morality. So, when it comes to a bank, quite often they can try to put pressure on an employee, requesting confidential information about a certain client, as well as data that allows an outsider to assess the stability of the enterprise as a whole. The code fixes the rules for interacting with information, and also imposes a strict ban on the use of information for one's own benefit and for the sake of enriching oneself personally.
Features of the case
If you look closely at the classical code of ethics of a nurse, a bank clerk, a lawyer, you can see that in most cases, through the document, managers solve the problems of monitoring the work of staff. If there is a desire to improve corporate culture, they can contribute toa collection of rules separate paragraphs and columns dedicated to the value of the enterprise, its social mission. As a rule, the document turns out to be quite complex and voluminous, differs in a hierarchical structure, contains an appeal to all hired persons without exception.
If the firm is heterogeneous, large, creating an optimal code is not an easy task. There are situations that at the international level, it was decided to be sure to fix in any code of ethics (nurse, financial or educational worker, and so on). The document contains the rules that must be followed when communicating with a client or patient, prescribe how you can interact with a supplier, contractor. Traditionally, the code includes a description of cases of abuse of power and status. The code provides an interpretation of bribery and deceit, how to avoid them, explains why this is unacceptable. Assessing the features of the managerial task, they can introduce blocks that tell about patterns of behavior in a difficult situation. The finished document is usually voluminous, characterized by a complex structure. It is problematic to address it to all employees of the company due to their differences from each other in terms of social status and education. It is also impossible to avoid the formation of an official paper, since the code is intended to create an understanding of the mission of the company and its values among the entire staff.
Is there a way out?
In the last century, a solution to the described problem was found. The generally accepted option was the formation of two varieties of the code,one is complete, the second is from brief basic provisions. The declarative version is usually referred to as the creed of the enterprise. It is difficult to say when such a document was drawn up for the first time, but it is known for certain that in 1933 it was already used in the work of the Matsushita Electric enterprise, and eleven years later a similar one was introduced by the management structures of Johnson and Johnson. The purpose of documentation is to describe in general terms how workers should behave. All proposals are made in a declarative form.
In fact, the document is an ideological setting, while there are no specific examples. When certain difficult circumstances arise, the employee must remember the basic values and principles indicated in the credo, and independently determine a line of behavior that would correspond to these settings. Codes of this kind are common today, but sometimes there are circumstances in which it is extremely difficult for an ordinary person to assess how lawful a chosen course of action will be. For a creed to work effectively, it needs to be discussed regularly with staff. A variety of rituals will benefit, including, for example, singing a hymn.
About the full version
Detailed versions of the codes became popular at the end of the last century. The idea of such documentation is a clear and complete description of the rules and ethics of the various lines of behavior of personnel. Such documents record information about the regulation of actions in a particular area, associated with increased dangers of violations. In addition, the detailed code considers in as much detail as possibleethically complex circumstances that employees of the enterprise may face. Such regulations were originally created as policies relating to interaction with clients, customers, and management structures. The codes were then extended to cover labor safety and conflicts of interest.
The main disadvantage of such a document is the complexity of its perception, increased due to volume. Due to such features, it is impossible to address the code to all employees of the company; it is necessary to make a selective direction. As a rule, the document is formed based on the management personnel of the highest, middle level. It does not unite all hired workers without exception and is not universal.
Summing up
The code of ethics is a tool for achieving success in the tasks assigned to the company. Creating a document is not just writing its text. Modern practice is such that one cannot force the implementation of the code, one can only present it in such a way that the personnel accept the indicated provisions. It will be possible to make the code work if all the features of the state of the enterprise, the nuances of each workplace are taken into account when forming the document.
