Integrity checks
‘Ethics are diminishing in the business sector, norms and values are becoming more and more diverse, social control is diminishing, the boss is the biggest corporate fraud of all’. A few random statements taken from newspaper articles. These articles are often based on surveys and are invariably accompanied by many practical examples of incidents. Often the incidents are so numerous that they can no longer be called incidents. The consequences for the organisation are always plain to see, however: financial damage, personal damage and especially damage to the company’s image. The important question is therefore: How do I prevent incidents and therefore also the damage?
Hoffmann Strategic Risk Management® can help you answer this question. The concept of integrity plays a key role, and our motto is therefore: Integrity is the key to success! After all, customers, employees, shareholders and social institutions evaluate you according to your integrity. Integrity is more than just damage prevention. An organisation with integrity ─ that is, a principled organisation ─ also tangibly contributes to your competitive spirit, your business objectives and therefore also the continuity of your company.
Integrity requires a systematic approach in which nice words are converted into tangible deeds. In concrete terms, this means mapping out bottlenecks, defining objectives, taking measures and making agreements. A principled organisation is Open, Transparent and Honest.
A principled organisation does not come about of itself and cannot continue to exist without a conscious effort. Auditing and control are key concepts in safeguarding the integrity of the employees and the organisation.
To answer the question as to how employees can be positively influenced, we first have to find out exactly when unprincipled behaviour occurs. This depends on three connected factors.
The factor of temptation (money, goods, time and information) is almost always present. The opportunity for unprincipled behaviour depends on the degree of internal and social control. The cause is determined by such things as departmental culture, personal circumstances or conflicts between employees and management.
By influencing these latter two factors – opportunity and cause – you can prevent your employees from slipping into unprincipled behaviour.
Hoffmann Strategic Risk Management® is the ideal partner can assist you in the creation of a principled organisation. This end result is usually a code of conduct. But an honest organisation is more than just a code of conduct. We can also help you, for example, to:
- identify the vulnerable spots in your organisation
- draw up agreements
- set up a package of measures that can be used immediately
- set up an effective system of (internal) checks
- arrange an adequate division of tasks
- set up a whistle-blower arrangement
- organise dilemma sessions and consciousness-raising sessions (for both management and employees)
- perform periodical audits
- provide customised training courses.
