Ethics & Culture

Among the many, many tales of ethical lapses at Enron, one of the more poignant and painful episodes involved an employee meeting that happened just before the company fell to pieces in late 2001. A worker asked Ken Lay, then president of Enron, about rumors of the company’s failing health. The employee wanted to know […]

Whistleblower claims can present substantial risk to a business. Generally, whistleblower protection laws are designed to protect those who report misconduct that implicates some matter of societal interest. The various state and federal whistleblower protection laws cover a wide range of subjects, literally from “a” (airline safety) to “z” (zoo animal abuse). In the corporate […]

The concept of corporate culture is difficult to get one’s arms around. We know it exists within every organization, although trying to identify or define it is challenging. That notwithstanding, executives who have been through the “wars” know well that shaping a company and its people to the desired culture plays a major role in […]

Compliance Week and Integrity Interactive are preparing a major global survey of concerns about corporate integrity, to be conducted early this year. The survey will explore how multinational companies structure their compliance and integrity programs, with a particular focus on monitoring and reporting possible infractions. The survey will also address key global compliance risks across […]

Dear Pat, Our new CEO requested and received an exemption from our company’s ethics and compliance training, which is required of all employees as stated in our Code of Conduct (and which every employee must certify yearly). He is no longer required to take any of the courses everyone else does. Now he has asked […]

The Lubrizol Corporation, which makes additives for lubricants and fuels, has promoted Greg Lewis to the roles of corporate vice president, global risk management, and chief ethics officer. In this new role, Lewis will oversee loss prevention activities; the health, safety, environment, and security function; and corporate ethics for the company. Since June 2004, Lewis […]

It is critical to recognize that fraud risk is not exclusively about the “good guys” catching “bad guys.” Given the right (wrong) circumstances, even the best people can do some of the worst things. In light of that, an organization should approach fraud risk in a comprehensive manner so that the business does not put […]

MED3OOO Group, a healthcare management and technology products and service for providers and employers, has appointed Angela Hoffman as chief compliance and ethics officer. In this role, Hoffman will be responsible for the oversight of MED3OOO’s corporate compliance and ethics program, as well as compliance oversight for MED3OOO’s existing operating units in the United States […]

From the printing press to the atomic bomb and stem cell research, innovation throughout the centuries has rarely developed without a great deal of social upheaval coming along. In years past, however, ethical dilemmas around new innovations wouldn’t arise until months or years after the invention was released into the market. Today, thanks to the […]

A little known office established just six months ago within the Securities and Exchange Commission seems to have hit its stride this summer, producing tangible results for investors and possibly signaling the end of six years of frustration for the SEC. Since 2002, the SEC has struggled mightily (and publicly) to develop some efficient way […]