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Ethics

The Future of Compliance: Metrics and Communicating Risks

Brendan Sheehan April 03, 2012

What's on the horizon for compliance and ethics? Metrics and communicating risks will dominate the agenda, say compliance executives. As companies expand overseas, they need better tools to measure and identify risk areas such as corruption. "The compliance function has become much more about metrics, especially for third-party vendors," said Brackett Denniston, general counsel at GE. More inside.

Workplace Ethics on the Decline?

Reese Darragh January 17, 2012

A new survey from the Ethics Resource Center indicates that workplace ethics may be deteriorating. The survey found a rise in retaliation against whistleblowers, more employees who say they feel pressure to compromise standards, and an increase in the number of companies that are considered to have weak ethics cultures. More survey results inside.

Study: Whistleblowers Want Anonymity, Monetary Rewards

Reese Darragh January 10, 2012

Whistleblowers are far more likely to report wrongdoing if they are given a monetary reward, anonymity, and protection from retaliation, says a recent survey by law firm Labaton Sucharow. Since only the SEC is paying a reward right now, that's bad news for compliance departments. But two-thirds of respondents said they weren't aware of the SEC's whistleblower program launched last year. More results inside.

Spending on Compliance Increasing

Jaclyn Jaeger November 15, 2011

In a recent survey, 41 percent of the compliance officers polled said they expect their department's budget to increase in 2012, and nearly half expect it to at least stay the same. Companies expect to spend more on technology and training, partly due to new regulations such as the Dodd-Frank Act. "The regulatory environment for most companies is becoming more complicated," says Ed Petry, vice president of the Ethical Leadership Group. More results inside.

The Reasonable Person: Internal Audit's Role in Internal Investigations

José Tabuena November 08, 2011

Yes, sometimes the best response to an allegation of misconduct is to commission an external investigation—but in many cases, an internal investigation will do just as well. How can you assure objectivity and independence in those cases? Inside, Compliance Week Columnist José Tabuena explores internal audit's role in serving as the "reasonable person" whose expectations are what counts in court.

Want Strong Controls? Start With Respect

Jason Mefford August 16, 2011

Speaking of employee surveys—Jason Mefford, head of internal audit at Ventura Foods, writes in a guest column this week that one of the most important variables a survey should track is employees' perceptions of respect in the workplace. If you want more engaged and productive employees, he says, then focus on respect in your organization.

Proper Execution of an Employee Survey

Jaclyn Jaeger August 16, 2011

Employee surveys are one of the best ways to measure corporate culture: They create data on workplace behavior, and indicate trouble spots. "What we gain out of them is a better understanding of the ethical environment in our organization," says Bob Miromonti, head of compliance at $1.5 billion Centene Corp. So how should a survey be conducted? Details inside.

Building Ethics Into the Compliance Program

Arielle Bikard June 01, 2011

Compliance officers and ethics experts at CW 2011 discussed techniques for building a solid ethics platform as the foundation of an effective compliance program. They also examined methods for measuring ethical behavior, including the use of surveys, and for aligning the ethics program with identified risks. More details inside.

Communicating Ethics and Compliance: 'Keep it Fresh'

Arielle Bikard May 31, 2011

Communicating ethics and compliance expectations is always a challenge. What works? Keep the delivery edgy and don't be afraid to take risks, said speakers at Compliance Week 2011. Kathleen Edmond, chief ethics officer at Best Buy, revealed one approach that stood out as a particularly creative avenue for getting the message across.

Ethics, Compliance, and Company Size

Matt Kelly March 21, 2011

Ethics and compliance can mean different things to different companies, and perhaps some of that difference hinges on a company's size. Inside, Compliance Week Editor Matt Kelly muses about the challenges of achieving ethics and of achieving compliance—which, he says, aren't necessarily one and the same for all businesses.

Axioms and Proof of Compliance

José Tabuena March 01, 2011

Mathematical axioms and proofs can be powerful tools for applying discipline and unearthing bedrock truths in any number of fields. Inside, Columnist José Tabuena dusts off his high school geometry lessons to find some fundamental axioms in ethics and compliance, and to derive a few formulas for evaluating your program's effectiveness.

What Mark Hurd and HP Tell Us About Compliance

Matt Kelly August 12, 2010

Last Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet a newly minted chief compliance officer. She had been in the job only one month, was passing through town, and wanted to talk about the current events in compliance over lunch. We settled into a restaurant near my office and began...

When Compliance and Legal Functions Collide

Matt Kelly July 25, 2010

Compliance Week took to the road again last week, this time hosting an editorial roundtable in Chicago with Thomson Reuters to talk about the overlap of corporate legal and compliance functions. Apparently we hit upon a popular subject; normally our roundtables attract about 12 to 14 compliance executives, but this...

How Language Shapes Our Perception of Ethics

Matt Kelly July 25, 2010

I don’t often recommend articles from a rival publication, since (of course) Compliance Week delivers every bit of information our readers could possibly want. But an essay from the Wall Street Journal’s latest weekend edition merits an exception.The July 23 article, “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boroditsky, explores how differences...

Observers Share Tips, Views On Navigating Social Media

Melissa Aguilar May 25, 2010

Companies wrestling with how to navigate the rapidly changing social media landscape got some advice from executives whose companies have already taken the plunge.During a panel discussion at Compliance Week's annual conference in Washington D.C., executives from Best Buy, Johnson & Johnson and The Travelers Companies shared their own experiences...

OECD Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, Compliance

Melissa Aguilar March 08, 2010

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has issued new guidance on internal controls, ethics, and compliance to help its member countries implement anti-bribery strategies.The OECD Working Group on Bribery has issued "Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, and Compliance," which calls for companies in the 38 countries that...

Power Grab

Matt Kelly February 08, 2010

Chief compliance officers may want to re-read that old copy of The Prince and go for the office power grab in 2010. Apparently all the cool kids in corporate governance support you already.Within the last several months, we’ve seen numerous signs—regulatory settlements, best practices guides, proposed revisions to the U.S....

Audit Cross-Selling Ban Opposed

Global Glimpses February 05, 2010

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U.K. to Review Ethics Rule

Global Glimpses September 16, 2009

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The Wrong Action for the Right Reasons?

Matt Kelly August 24, 2009

I’ve been writing about corporate compliance for a long time, and like most executives who use Compliance Week, I’ve become comfortable using the abstract terms we all do when talking about the idea of “compliance.” But two incidents in the news recently remind me that for all our theoretical understanding...

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Survey of the Week

Deloitte is conducting their annual Look Before You Leap: Managing Risks in Global Investments survey to better understand the approaches companies are taking to address compliance and integrity-related risks in emerging markets.