Theresa and Mike fully support creating a code of conduct for the merged organization. They have asked you to recommend how they should approach the development of the code of conduct, especially given the need to merge the companies into one team with a shared mission, vision, and values. They are interested in knowing how the code of conduct will help establish the new organizational culture.
Review the scenario for this course, and prepare a 500–700-word executive report that includes the following:
What set of steps should be used to create the code of conduct?
What should be included in the code of conduct?
What impact does a code of conduct have on an organization’s culture?
THERESA AND MIKE Communication and Collaboration
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Institution
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THERESA AND MIKE Communication and Collaboration
Theresa and Mike are two people that need their companies, UWEAR and PALEDENIM, to be merged, and therefore, they require a code of conduct that best suits their shared vision, mission, and values. A code of conduct is a structure that defines how the employees of a company should behave daily, and also, it reflects the operations of the company on a routine basis, core values of the company, and overall company culture. A code of conduct is designed in a unique way to represent the organization or company it is designed for. There are steps involved in creating the code of conduct. In this case, when coming up with a code of conduct for the merged companies, I would recommend Theresa and Mike to gather information by compiling ideas as to what should be included in the code of conduct. For example, they should look at the values listed in the corporate mission statement and make them a focal point of their brainstorming session.
Second, they should develop a draft after determining the basic content and structure of the code. The two should not be in a hurry to find a legal expert to create a code for them since it will be filled with a lot of legalese that is difficult to understand. An effective code does not include rules and regulations that have to be followed all the time but rather a positive, value-based document (Tourani, Adams & Serebrenik, 2017). The third step is making a review of the draft where the two should go through the already completed draft to ensure it complies with the parameters developed in the first step. The fourth step is adopting the code formally, which involves presenting it before the board of directors if the two companies have for approval. The fifth step is introducing the code to all the members involved. The sixth step was enforcing the code since it is not effective unless a mechanism is put in place to enforce it effectively.
A good code of conduct should include ethical principles, including the behavior in workplaces and respect to everyone. Secondly, it should have values that include a working environment that is honest, unbiased, and impartial. Thirdly, the code must include accountability, which means that everyone should take responsibility for their actions. There should be an appropriate use of information, diligence has to be exercised, and there should not be any conflicts of interest. Fourthly, it should entail a standard of conduct where everyone has to comply with the job description, commitment to the company, and proper internet, computer, and email usage. Fifthly, it should comprise a standard of practice where current procedures and policies are stated, including the business operational manual. Lastly, it should contain disciplinary actions where complaints have to be handled by giving specific penalties for violating the code.
The code of conduct influences the culture of an organization in various ways. First, the work environment changes when the code of conduct is consistently enforced to violate the code (Jacobs). The second effect is on values and beliefs, where the employees tend to look for certain beliefs and values that stand for the company’s philosophy and mission. With a well-written code of conduct, employees will get on board. The third effect is on decision-making, where the company’s reputation will be affected by its decisions. By Maximizing the impact of the code of ethics on the organization’s culture or company, the code of conduct should be modeled to the workforce every day. The last effect is accountability, where the code of conduct gives a degree of accountability to employers. People tend to work in organizations that they can trust.
References
Tourani, P., Adams, B., & Serebrenik, A. (2017, February). Code of conduct in open source projects. In the 2017 IEEE 24th international conference on software analysis, evolution, and reengineering (SANER) (pp. 24-33). IEEE.
Jacobs, H. How Does an Ethical Code of Conduct Affect Corporate Culture for Better or Worse? How Can SHR Professionals Build a Strong Ethical Culture?.
