Business Ethics, Essay Example

The position of Corporate Ethics Officer for the company relies on on the individual’s comprehension of the duties involved, commitment to fulfilling them, and experience relevant to so pivotal a role. In regard to the latter, the individual must have a background in either management or human resources in which practical considerations of ethics have been clearly demonstrated. This qualification is not precisely defined, but the individual’s history should reflect positive influences in these regards. That the applicant should have some form of management experience is required; supervisory roles demand active applications of ethical responsibilities of a wide variety, whereas subordinate positions are typically more reactive in matters of ethics. Then, that the Officer will be accountable to the company’s highest levels of management, and be empowered to interact at these levels, renders such experience essential.

The officer, it is understood, serves in the capacity of translating the organization’s ethics into codes of conduct, which is a necessary expansion of the company’s guiding principles (Collins, 2012, p. 65). To begin, the Officer is responsible for creating, in cooperation with upper management, the company’s ethics policies. This in place, it is the Officer’s task to develop a working structure in which the policies are translated into all facets of the company’s operations. For example, the ethical policy of equal opportunity hiring is to be made manifest in all relevant materials and instructed to human resources, just as the Officer must oversee that the ethics governing working conditions are adhered to. In broader terms, the Officer will act as an intermediary when employees or external elements have issues with policies or practices related to ethics. While the Officer does not have the final authority in resolution, no decision in regard to any such matter will be implemented without the Officer’s full investigation of the matter.