Human Resources play a pivotal role in promoting business ethics and accountability by disseminating essential information such as the code of conduct and ensuring it is developed with a high level of conduct recognition that reflects the company’s culture and values as well as the rules and regulations established by governing bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority (Stahl et al., 2020). Human Resources uphold and maintain the connection between values, role modelling, and rewarding benefits, as well as integrating employee legislation that must be followed (Stahl et al., 2020). Human resources are the champions for all aspects of the business, from experts in their fields to advocates for moving the organization into the future while simultaneously setting an example and ensuring that core values are upheld. Through establishing policies and procedures, HR can guarantee corporate responsibility is upheld by all employees, especially in today’s challenging environment.
Generally speaking, HR is in charge of informing employees about changes, establishing trends, leading by example, and providing visibility; be it to senior managers for planning purposes or the entire organization to help them comprehend a future vision while remaining committed to the firms values and culture (Trevino & Nelson, 2021). Establishing a culture of ethics in the workplace is crucial not only for maintaining a positive public image, but also for building trusting relationships amongst staff members. This is necessary to make sure that everyone in the company follows the company’s ethics code, and if any employees aren’t, they should be addressed and disciplined.
Regardless of the size of a company, success is impossible without a workforce that shares the firm’s vision and is committed to its growth (Obara & Peattie, 2018). Human resources must make certain that ethics are integrated into all facets of the company, including its policies, the entire recruitment process (from onboarding to offboarding), and illness and performance management along with all the other aspects of the firm (Obara & Peattie, 2018).
Offering volunteer opportunities and educating people on ethical behaviours like money laundering and anti-bribery are both effective strategies to make sure the company maintains its genuine ethical standards and isn’t merely viewed as having them on the surface, without any real substance or depth of ethical practice. For the purpose of ensuring that the law is followed, best practice analysis ought to be relevant and up to date (Obara & Peattie, 2018). Employees can have their voices heard through surveys designed to gauge their level of engagement in their jobs, which could lead to a more open environment for sharing and implementing ideas for positive change.
