A Code of conduct is a written or documented set of rules that guide the conduct of each member in an organization. It helps in spelling out the tasks any worker is expected to perform and the ones they are forbidden from doing (Schwartz, 2004) . A Code of conduct is critical to any organization as it helps in guiding every employee towards a certain goal or objective. This paper analyses the code of conduct for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an American public organization. It contains a different set of rules for employees and other stakeholders within the organization. CDC code of conduct contains several general themes that apply to every worker irrespective of position held.
First, the organization requires every employee to follow the country’s constitution at all times. CDC expects all workers to have consideration for the laws set before executing any duty. Secondly, the company requires all employees not to hold any financial interests that comprise their duties. This includes carrying out a monetary transaction with other organizations or individuals without prior permission. Third, CDC demands ethical accountability from its employees irrespective of the position held. This means that each worker is supposed to undertake his/her duties with the utmost honesty and loyalty to the organization. Other general themes in the CDC code of conduct include conflict of interest, avoiding corrupt activities, and making improper payments or receiving unwarranted gifts.
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From the analysis of the CDC code of conduct, it is evident that the document contains vague information. First, it does not address specific categories of workers. The document does not specifically point the roles and responsibilities of each worker in maintaining the general code of conduct. For instance, the code of conduct does not specify whose judgment will be used and to what extent (Clement & Clement, 2016) . This can create confusion between the junior and senior workers at CDC as they are not aware of the limits set for each. Secondly, the organization’s code of conduct does not specify the repercussion of not following each rule set. The document does not give a specified punishment for each employee for not following the code of conduct. For instance, it does not give specific action a junior will face if he/she reveals the organization’s secrets.
Some certain sanctions or infractions follow if a particular behavior is not followed. It is the role of CDC management to inform every worker of what is expected of him/her. Failure to adhere to the set guidelines should be followed by certain repercussions (Canon & Cooper, 2000) . For instance, a worker who engages in corrupt activities should face the law. Serious mistakes like revealing the organization’s classified information to the competitor can lead to termination of employment to the person responsible. According to the CDC code of conduct, every worker is supposed to be aware of every rule as he/she carries out his/her activities. However, the administrator needs to take certain actions to ensure that the code of conduct is adhered to effectively. First, he/she should make it more transparent for every employee to know what specifically is expected of him/her.
Summary
The code of conduct plays an important role in shaping the conduct of each worker in an organization. It informs every employee what to do and what not to when undertaking the activities of the company. By looking at the CDC code of conduct, it requires every worker to follow the U.S Constitution, be accountable, and protect the interests of the organization. However, it is vaguely written as it does not address specific employee and to what extent. Failure to follow those rules can lead to certain repercussions like termination of employment.
References
Canon, H. J., & Cooper, T. L. (2000). The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role. The Journal of Higher Education . https://doi.org/10.2307/2649163
Clement, N., & Clement, N. (2016). Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. In Essentials of Management of Nursing Service and Education . https://doi.org/10.5005/jp/books/12694_69
Schwartz, M. S. (2004). Effective corporate codes of ethics: Perceptions of code users. Journal of Business Ethics . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-2169-2
