My experience over the last several years in corporate governance and internal audit finds that developing a culture of respect in the workplace is critical for a strong control environment. You can even find that expressed right in the COSO Internal Control Framework: “Control environment factors include the integrity, ethical values, and competence of the entity's people; [and] management's philosophy and operating style.” A workplace with a philosophy and operating style of integrity and ethical values is based on a foundation of respect.
So how can companies assess the level of respect within the organization? One of the most effective ...