Introduction
Global codes of conduct that are to be followed by companies are aimed at ensuring that acceptable trade practices are adopted. The international trade organizations emphasize practices that will not corrupt the norms of the people. Practices such as corruption are completely discouraged internationally. Employees are expected to treat their clients without any favoritism or requesting for extra favors from them. Corruption and favoritism are some of the practices that have hindered some of the international establishments. The units are also required to act by the cultural requirements of a place. There are cultural differences that may at times affect the marketability of a product. Culture should be reflected in the advertisements of the product as well as the components used to make the product. Employees should use language that will be clear to the people and display themselves in a way that will enhance the products of the company. In setting global ethical conduct, the culture of the people is a fundamental aspect that is considered.
Coca Cola
Coca-cola is one of the best performing business units in the world; it has been an envy of many business units that desire to reach the level they have reached. The company carries out its business practices in an admirable way that has made its products acceptable in all international markets. The codes that govern the company include, acting with integrity, being honest, following the law complying with the code, and being accountable (Schniederjans, 1998). These rules have not only be set by the company but there are also efforts to ensure that each one of them is followed. Even though the company has employed thousands around the world, the coordination within has been successful as each individual understands what they are meant to do. The company has hence continued to perform better than other similar companies. This clearly shows that the company leaders have been at the forefront in practicing what they advise their juniors too and hence led to its success. Employees at different levels and located in different regions understand what is required of them. They work as per the codes of the company and ensure that their activities are accounted for.
Bank of America
Bank of America has five main core values that it believes in, they include doing the right thing, trusting and teamwork, inclusive meritocracy, winning, and leadership. These are indeed strong values that are sure to make a company soar higher in the area of management and leadership. The company believes that by following such conduct, it can achieve its objectives. The company has however been going through a lot of challenges as its clients complained of certain issues (Mamic, 2004). Company clients have expressed their dissatisfaction with how their transactions are being carried out. There have been certain extra charges that they have been charged and also unnecessary levies on their bank overdrafts. This has posed a question on whether the company is operating on its code of conduct or not. The customers may have blamed the mistake on the employees but were surprised when the management showed little concern about their complaints. The company may have lost its ethical conduct of winning as most of the clients walked away. As much as this may be said to be a temporary issue, the company needs to reconsider some of its codes and find out if they are being followed by its employees. If they aren’t, they are either not practical or the company lacks a proper mechanism to ensure that their employees are working according to them.
Sears
Sears holdings is a broad-line retail company based in the united states but also operating in Canada. The core values that the company believes in are honesty, integrity, and adherence to the highest ethical standards. Being a retail company means that there are a lot of personal interactions with its clients. The code of honesty will determine the level at which the company will succeed. Its success is determined by the goodwill that it enjoys from its clients. Considering the success that the company has achieved, we realize that its codes are being followed by the employees (Sethi, 2003). The codes seem to be simple yet bearing fruit to the company. The company has however not launched its services in other regions of the world. It will hence be necessary for it to consider expanding its activities and also revising the codes that govern it. It can be easy for such a company to continue holding on to the older codes even when it has expanded and thus losing its objectives.
The international business market has become so competitive that it requires businesses to undertake more aggressive steps to capture share. This is usually has been a challenge to most units that have purposed to integrate culture into their business practices. Coca-cola is one such company that has discovered the secret of making its products sold by the integration of the different cultures. This is reflected in ensuring that their international branches are composed of the locals who will help in the promotion of the product. By including them to be part of their employees, it will be easier for them to apply the conduct that will be appreciated by their people. Both their dress code and social behavior should not clash with the people of the society. Such determination is also reflected in their advertisements where they integrate different cultures. This has made the product even more popular as many more people can relate to it.
Conclusion
Codes of conduct act as a reference that a company will use to determine whether the people that they are working with are performing well. They usually measure the performance of the company whereby when they are adequately followed; the company will perform well. It is therefore important for the company not only to set the codes but also to ensure that they are being followed by the employee. A company, especially when it is involved in international business, may set specific codes that are to be followed by such employees. This is to accommodate the different cultures and also integrate workable business practices.
References
Mamic, I. (2004). Implementing codes of conduct: how businesses manage social performance in global supply chains. New York: International Labour Organization.
Schniederjans, M. (1998). Operations Management in a Global Context. NY: Quorum Books.
Sethi, S. (2003). Setting global standards: guidelines for creating codes of conduct in multinational corporations. California: John Wiley and Sons.