A code of conduct reflects a company’s core values, vision, and overall culture. The code of ethics creates expectations about the company’s work and general behavior. Gonzalez-Padron (2015) proposed that the code’s title might affect the reader’s attitude toward the content. For instance, including the word “values” in the title signals to the readers that the company appreciates its employees’ input and aims to align their values with its mission. Consequently, regardless of the truthfulness of this sentiment, such a title leaves a positive impression on the reader. Conversely, including the word “compliance” or having a “rule-based” code appear to disregard the interpersonal relationships. The readers often perceive such titles as overly strict or punitive or assume that the company only values its employees as long as they abide by the rules.
Personally, I prefer the simple “code of conduct” title for the document. The former is a succinct title that does not sound overly punitive or sentimental. None of the words holds negative or positive conations, opting for neutral instead. Additionally, it is all-encompassing and can include information on the guidelines, regulations, general culture, and values of an organization. The word “conduct” signifies how one should behave, while “code” sounds formal and represents something one should follow. Together, they reflect the document’s purpose, which is to provide the employees with a set of guidelines or regulations on how to behave.
Some creative titles for a pharmaceutical company are “A Code Approved by Your Doctor” or “A Prescribed Code of Conduct.” As for a restaurant, a title could be “A Tasteful Plate of Values” or “Seasoned Expectations.” As for the other companies’ ethics documents, Coca Cola’s title is “Code of Business Code.” This document reflects the company’s values of integrity and honesty and describes the general rules for professional conduct (Code of Business Conduct, 2019). My previous employer’s code of ethics was tilted “Compliance – Code of Ethics.” It contained the rules, regulations, law compliance, dealing with the conflict of interest, and disciplinary action should there be any code violations.
References
Code of Business Conduct. (2019). The Coca-Cola Company. Web.
Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers. San Diego, CA.