Integrity, accountability, and transparency are the most important elements of an effective ethics and compliance program culture to prevent misconduct. If those values are not woven into the fabric of the organization, there can be no assurance that employees will follow the rules, policies, and procedures designed to prevent misconduct in the first place.
That is the core message from “The 2020 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report” by ethics and compliance advisory firm LRN, which surveyed 500 ethics, compliance, and legal executives from a cross-sector of industries around the world. According to LRN, the following pillars of ethical culture determine whether ethics and compliance (E&C) rules will be followed, ignored, or circumvented:
