Corporate ethics and compliance programs that guide employees to “do the right thing” with a strong corporate culture are more resilient in the face of adversity compared to programs that simply enforce rules, according to the latest survey findings.

In the 2023 edition of LRN’s “Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report,” released Wednesday, 84 percent of nearly 1,860 ethics and compliance professionals polled reported their organizations relied on values, rather than rules, to motivate their employees to comply with corporate codes of conduct. Respondents to the survey worked at companies and organizations with at least 1,000 employees across 26 industries and in 10 different countries.

The report found most respondents—85 percent—said their company’s ethical culture has been strengthened, not weakened, in facing the myriad challenges of the past 12 months, be it continued response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and/or other headwinds.