Truth-telling: the line keeps slipping
By Noreen Kelly | February 17, 2010
A 2/16/10 article in Ethisphere magazine, Cheating: You Have to Sweat the Small Stuff, reports that cheating is widespread in our culture.
Rushworth Kidder, the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics and author of books including Moral Courage. found that people consistently tend to cite truth-telling or honesty as one of their five most cherished values. However, knowing doesn’t lead to doing.
Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, author of the Ethisphere article and dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, states that responsibility for the values that drive our actions and decisions must be borne by everyone. Woo also comments: “Small daily actions, not words or intentions, are the building blocks of the right stuff – authenticity, integrity, care for others, courage.”
Topics: Business, Ethics, Integrity, Trust | No Comments »
Trust Model
By Noreen Kelly | February 15, 2010
This Trust in Business model, developed by Trust Matters Group, centers around the following three elements and seven imperatives:
Trust Elements:
1. Relationships
2. Communication
3. Knowledge Sharing & Collaboration
Trust Imperatives:
1. Accountability
2. Authenticity
3. Credibility
4. Honesty
5. Integrity
6. Respect
7. Transparency
Here’s a link to the Trust model in detail:
Topics: Business, Trust | No Comments »
Global trust in business up slightly
By Noreen Kelly | January 26, 2010
The 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer Survey reports a modest global rise in trust in business, however, informed adults believe that companies will revert to their old ways as memory of the economic downturn fades.
According to survey results released today, 54% of adults said that they trusted business, up from 50% in 2008.
For the first time, this year’s Trust Barometer shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services.
People no longer regard a company’s financial performance as a signal that it is trustworthy. Financial returns ranked last of the 10 factors that Americans said they considered in evaulating a company’s trustworthiness, behind transparency, treating employees well and pricing fairly.
The credibility of CEOs showed notable recovery in many markets, jumping by nine points in the U.S. to 26%. Despite this climb, CEOs still rank in the bottom two in the list of trusted spokespersons in the U.S. and Germany.
“Trust in business has improved, but the patient has a long way to go for a full recovery,” said Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. “The increase in trust in business belies its fragility. There is concern that short-term actions have been taken only as a result of the crisis and that government will need to remain a watchdog. Companies will have to prove the skeptics wrong and show they can achieve both profit and purpose.”
Sources: Edelman PR and Reuters Press Releases, 1/26/10
For more information, go to: http://edelman.com/trust/2010/
Topics: Business, Trust | 3 Comments »
Trust in the Workplace – Chicagoland Chapter of the ASTD (American Society for Training & Development)
By Noreen Kelly | January 18, 2010
I was invited to speak on the topic of Trust in the Workplace at the January 18, 2010 meeting of the Chicagoland Chapter of ASTD (American Society for Training & Development)
Trust is the core issue impacting organizational, team and leadership effectiveness. The session explored the impact of trust in the workplace, definitions of trust, trust issues, and the need to have a common language to talk about trust. A behavioral model for building a trusting, productive work environment, developed by TrustWorks Group, was introduced.
Topics: Trust, workplace | No Comments »
Job satisfaction in U.S. falls to record low
By Noreen Kelly | January 5, 2010
According to a new survey published by the Conference Board, only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work, the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. When the Conference Board first conducted the survey in 1987, most workers — 61 percent — said they were happy in their jobs. In 2008, 49 percent of those surveyed reported satisfaction with their jobs.
The reasons cited:
* Fewer workers consider their jobs to be interesting.
* Incomes have not kept up with inflation.
* The soaring cost of health insurance has eaten into workers’ take-home pay.
Economists say a drop in job satisfaction could stifle innovation and hurt America’s competitiveness and productivity. Also, a lessened sense of teamwork is linked to low job satisfaction. And, it could make unhappy older workers less inclined to take the time to share their knowledge and skills with younger workers.
Topics: Employee engagement, Trust, workplace | No Comments »
100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics
By Noreen Kelly | December 17, 2009
Ethisphere announced its annual List of 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics on December 16, 2009. The year 2009 saw increased scrutiny of corporate transparency, oversight and ethics.
“This year we not only saw the catastrophic consequences that ethical failings can have on an organization and industry at large, but we were also able to observe the profoundly positive impact that sound corporate ethics can have on the long-term health and wealth of a company,” said Stefan Linssen, Editor-in-Chief of Ethisphere Magazine. “These individuals have impacted the way we think about, practice and oversee ethics in ways that will continue to resonate with the business community for many years to come.”
The winners are broken down into the following eight core categories: Government and Regulatory, Business Leadership, Non-Government Organization (NGO), Design and Sustainability, Media and Whistleblowers, Thought Leadership, Corporate Culture, and Investment and Research.
The top 10 list:
John Kopchinski – Former Sales Representative, Pfizer
Peter Solmssen – General Counsel, Siemens
Mary Schapiro – Chairman, SEC
Keith Jubah – Head of Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, Libya
Neelie Kroes – Commissioner for Competition, EU
Mike Duke – CEO, Wal-Mart
Carter Roberts – CEO, World Wildlife Fund
Sir David Walker – Senior Adviser, Morgan Stanley International
Huguette Labelle – Chair, Transparency International
Dame Deirdre Hutton – Chair, Food Standards Agency, UK
Further information about each winner can be found at:
Ethisphere also released its annual list of the Top 10 People We Won’t Miss, which includes: Charles Conaway, the former CEO of K-Mart; Steven Cauley, a partner at Cauley, Bowman, Carney & Williams; and Tom Petters, founder of Petters Group Worldwide LLC.
“While it’s true that much of the advancement in business ethics occurs as a result of forward-thinking, positive individual and organizational action,” continued Linssen, “the missteps of these 10 individuals have undoubtedly, though inadvertently, brought about improvements in and increased awareness of business ethics.”
The full rankings with descriptions of the recognized individuals and activities and list of advisory panel members are available in the fourth quarterly issue of Ethisphere Magazine and online at http://ethisphere.com/2009s-100-most-influential-people-in-business-ethics/.
Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute.
More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.org.
Topics: Business, Ethics, Integrity, Trust | No Comments »
Johnson & Johnson ranked as most reputable U.S. company – Reputation Institute’s 2009 U.S. Pulse study
By Noreen Kelly | December 15, 2009
Johnson & Johnson ranked as the most reputable U.S. company, according to Reputation Institute’s 2009 U.S. Reputation Pulse. Other companies in the top five: Kraft Foods, UPS, General Mills, and FedEx.
AIG, the financial services firm, suffered the biggest drop in the index. Last year’s winner, Google, fell to number eight and lost significant reputation capital. Companies with the largest gains (an increase of 12 points in Reputation Pulse scores) were Dow Chemicals and Wal-Mart.
The study also showed that ethics and transparency rose in importance to their highest levels ever. Good governance, defined as “a responsibly run company that behaves ethically and is open and transparent in its business dealings” moved from the No. 4 driver of reputation in 2007 to No. 2 this year.
The Reputation Pulse measures the corporate reputations of the largest U.S. companies based on consumers’ trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling about a company across seven dimensions of reputation. The seven dimensions of reputation management are: Products/Services, Innovation, Governance, Workplace, Citizenship, Leadership and Performance.
Reputation Institute is the world’s leading reputation consulting firm. Visit the Reputation Institute Web site to learn more.
Topics: Business, Ethics, Reputation, Trust | No Comments »
Five Minutes on Mondays
By Noreen Kelly | November 29, 2009
Five Minutes on Mondays: Finding Unexpected Purpose, Peace, and Fulfillment at Work, by Alan Lurie, is a collection of 30 weekly messages that the author wrote for the New York business community. The book addresses such topics as authenticity, balance, honesty, happiness, humor, and how to understand difficult times.
Lurie’s suggestions for bringing spirit to work: Prosper while keeping your integrity / Balance faith, honor, and ambition / Use your workplace as your moral and spiritual “gymnasium” / Find deeper meaning and purpose in your work / Face your fears and failures, and keep going / Gain real respect–and give it / Live one authentic life–at work, and everywhere else.
Topics: Business, Spirituality, workplace | No Comments »
The Project on Public Trust in Business
By Noreen Kelly | November 26, 2009
The Project on Public Trust in Business (the Project) is a major and ongoing effort—initiated by the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics and the Arthur W. Page Society—to engage leading organizations in developing and implementing a long-term strategy to build public trust in business.
The project was officially launched June of 2009 with the publication of The Dynamics of Public Trust in Business—Emerging Opportunities for Leaders, a report prepared by the two lead organizations.
The report concludes that public distrust in business is negatively affecting companies across industries and indicates that, although trust in business is in crisis, leaders can take concrete actions to build trust.
The Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics is an independent entity established in partnership with Business Roundtable—an association of 160 CEOs from leading companies.
The Institute brings together leaders from business and academia to renew and enhance the link between ethical behavior and business practice through executive education programs, practitioner-focused research and outreach.
More information on the Institute can be found at www.corporate-ethics.org.
Topics: Business, Ethics | No Comments »
National Business Ethics Survey (NBES): Ethics in the workplace has improved during the down economy, however …
By Noreen Kelly | November 19, 2009
… NBES data show that, like the Enron era, improvements in ethical conduct tend to be temporary.
From 2000 to 2003, ethics metrics all improved, with the bursting of the dot com bubble, 9/11, and corporate scandals, including Enron and WorldCom, only to fall back until the start of the current recession in December 2007.
The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) announced the results of its sixth National Business Ethics Survey® on November 18, 2009. NBES is the nationally-recognized barometer on workplace ethics.
“The focus needs to stay on ethical culture and the tone at the top, starting with an organization’s directors and most senior executives,” said ERC President, Patricia J. Harned, PhD.
The full report, Ethics in the Recession, is available at: www.ethics.org/nbes.
Read the full press release at ERC’s website.
Topics: Ethics, Trust, workplace | No Comments »
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