For this assignment, I would like to develop an ethics strategy for the Coca-Cola Company, which is an international Soft Drink and Bottled Water Company. In my Vision Statement, I would entail aspects of quality, pricing, and our commitment to ethics when providing our products to the market. It is important to note that some of these things may crisscross in intention. For instance, our commitment to quality means that we cannot engage in unscrupulous activities, which is essentially what ethics is about. The Vision Statement would read, “To be a top player in ethical integration for the production of quality soft drinks.” Values Statement is a key aspect of establishing customer trust. All customers want to be sure that they associate with companies that prioritize values such as fairness, honesty, and integrity. These qualities are important because they strengthen the trust bond between the customers and company. My Values Statement would read, “Commitment to honesty and integrity in product provision” (Gabriel, 2008).
Organizational Code of Ethics mainly guide the internal operations of a company. In this, I would outline a proper framework on the acceptable codes of conduct regarding ethics and the consequences of any disregard to what is outlined. All employees, from the most senior to the most subordinate, will be bound to this ethical framework. One of the things would be disrespecting customers in any way, which would carry a penalty of two warnings and a suspension if multiple complaints are filed. Other things like any form of corruption, misappropriation, and dishonesty would carry a warning then a suspension if repeated. On the penalties also, any employee who engages in these activities would receive a tarnished recommendation letter once they request a transfer (Mandal, 2010). In the appointment of an Ethics Officer, the responsibility would be given to the departmental leaders/managers. However, these managers would be answerable to the main Ethics Officer, who would be in every Coca-Cola branch across the world. Also, a feedback system would be initiated where customers report any incidences where they were requested for favors or bribes.
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Ethics Training and Communication would be done upon recruitment, by ethics consultants, experts, and a dedicated team from our company. The dedicated team from our company would ensure that the facilitators cover all ethical aspects that are outlined in our Company. Since Coca-Cola is an international company, the training would be done in various countries. Each branch across the world would have two annual training sessions at a pre-booked facility like a hotel for a week. The training would be systematic from the basics, then progress to matters of assessing and modeling of real-time situations. The last thing in the training would be familiarization with our company’s code of ethics. For an Ethics Help Line, we would have two communication channels. One would be a telephone number, and the other would be an email address. Emails would be most recommended due to record keeping (Ronald, 2007).
Monitoring and Tracking Systems would be critical in evaluating progress. For recording, an integrated system would be available in the office of the Ethics Officer. Data would be fed by the departmental managers, who as stated before, would be responsible for any ethical incidences in their departments. The system would also obtain data from the score of employees during their training evaluation. Finally, the helpline and customer feedback systems would also be instrumental in establishing a functional monitoring and tracking system. In Ethical Leadership, every employee would rudimentarily be responsible for being an active participant in ethical matters (Gabriel, 2008). However, the managers and other leaders would also have the greatest role in ensuring that they are epitomes of ethics. When the managers and higher stakeholders strictly follow ethical stipulations, the subordinates are bound to conform.
References
Gabriel, F. (2008). Leadership and Business Ethics. MI: Springer Science & Business Media.
Mandal, S., K. (2010). Ethics in Business & Corp Governance . London: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Ronald, J. (2007). Ethics & Business . LA: Uitgeverij Van Gorcum publishers.
