Ethics and corporate values ‐ lessons from the US military

Abstract

Ethics in the way organizations go about their business is increasingly important to customers, who are becoming increasingly aware of ‐ and increasingly discriminating against ‐ companies which fail to meet their criteria. But how to overcome the accusation that a policy, made at board level, is ignored in implementation? A written statement of policy can go a long way towards keeping an organization honest. But does the leader’s or organization’s philosophy actually need to be written down and published? In theory, if a leader is consistent, every subordinate should have a clear picture of what the leader’s philosophy is, and the organization will act accordingly. On the other hand, if a leader fails to make his or her philosophy explicit, i.e., what the work environment is to be, a philosophy will be assumed. Makes the case for a written policy on ethics, and offers examples from the US Marine Corps, and others.

Citation

Townsend, P.L., Gebhardt, J.E. and Townsend, P. (1997), "Ethics and corporate values ‐ lessons from the US military", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 7 No. 5, pp. 258-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604529710172917