Part 1
“The title should convey the purpose of the document.” (Gonzalez-Pardon, 2015). This is the simplest form of what the title should be. I’d never really considered how the name of an organizations ethics document affects how I view the document or what it contains differently. I absolutely think that the title of the document plays into how it is viewed both inside and outside the organization. Naming the document something simple like “Code of Conduct” really doesn’t build much of a brand around what the organization expects from an ethics standpoint of their employees. Our text mentions Harley Davidson’s “Every Day Values” which really struck me as a much better title – it reflects not just the “code” that employees must follow but the everyday values of employees and diving deeper into legal versus illegal.
I’ll admit that creativity has never been my strong suit to come up with names for ethics codes for different organizations but after this weeks readings, clearly the name is an important feature, not just what is contained inside the document. After getting curious and searching my past employers I located a Code of Ethics from my first management job in the service industry: “Serving Up Ethics”. While it sounds a bit cheesy, I am more inclined to read a document titled “Serving Up Ethics” rather than “Code of Ethics”. My current employer named their Code of Ethics “Corporate Citizenship” implying that the ethics that govern the business go much further than the business itself and affects the communities that we operate in.
Resource: (T.Rose)
Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers. Zovio.
Part 2
The title of a company’s ethics document can affect one’s attitude towards the content as the title is one of an employee’s first introductions to the content. There are multiple titles available to name the document, but it is imperative to understand that essentially it is the “quality of the content and familiarity with the code” that are the “key factors for creating an ethical culture” in an organization (Gonzalez-Padron, 2015). The title establishes the purpose of the document and should allude to how in depth the content will go. I think the title “Standards of professional and business conduct” is one of the best titles on the list as it clearly states the content is centered around both professional and business conduct. The title “code of conduct” certainly conveys the message that the content will refer to proper conduct, but the word “code” also hints at the content being something employees will band together over as a team.
A possible title for a pharmaceutical company’s ethic code could be “Above the Influence,” which I would hope already clues to readers that the contents of the document may at some point encourage them to break away from the influence of their peers if they are ever pushed break the code of conduct. A title for a restaurant would be “All Eggs in the Right Basket.” While the cliché saying usually means that one should not depend too heavily on one choice, this version of the saying emphasizes the choice that ethical decision making is the right thing to do. I appreciate how Apple has a “Human Rights Policy.” Although the title is a bit basic, I like how it clearly emphasizes the importance of how workers must be treated with respect in every arm of the business. Kellog’s code of ethics document is entitled “Living Our Values.” Again, this is not the most unique title for the documents, but it clearly describes what readers can expect out of the document: the company not only sets organizational values, but it is also just as important to implement those values into everyday business operations.