Check out eCornell's blog: http://bit.ly/1rVRSw9 Ethics and workplace culture are at the heart of any successful business strategy. An organization’s ability to execute its mission and vision is directly proportional to the health of its culture and strength of its ethical values in action. Today, more and more companies are looking to HR to bridge what may seem like an impossible divide: to align the high-level ideals behind mission and vision with tangible business results. Susan Alevas, President, Alevas Consulting Group and eCornell Faculty Instructor, discusses how HR can bridge the divide and provide a winning strategy for senior leaders, HR professionals and managers at all levels. You’ll also learn: - How to develop and preserve a culture that supports the business strategy through ethics in action. - Several key steps your organization can take to strengthen its culture and boost its ability to execute its business objectives. - How to avoid common mistakes HR professionals make in this arena. Susan F. Alevas, Esq. is president of the Alevas Consulting Group, an engaging management/training consultant and a principled private attorney licensed to practice law in the states of New York and Florida. Her previous management career included leadership in human resources and labor relations in both the private and public sectors. Ms. Alevas is also an adjunct instructor at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and teaches a variety of in-person and online courses in human resources, law and management-development topics and programs.

1. How To Build and HR Strategy
That is Ethical, Mission-Driven
and Gets Results
An eCornell webinar
with Susan Alevas, Esq.

2. Management
Guru
Peter
Drucker
Once
Said…
“Culture
eats
strategy
for
breakfast.”

3. And
at
the
crossroads
of
Culture
and
Strategy
is
the
Organiza<on’s
Ethics

4. HR’s
Cri:cal
Role
• Partner
with
the
Business
• Guardian
of
the
Business
Values
and
Ethics

5. Corporate
Values
• Establish
the
organiza<onal
norms
• Direct
the
way
people
behave
(founda<on
of
corporate
culture)
• Corporate
culture
reinforces
the
brand
reputa<on
(good
or
bad!).

6. WHAT
EMPLOYEES
VALUE
According
to
a
report
recently
released
by
the
Ethics
Resource
Center,
employees
judge
senior
leaders/managers
on:
• overall
character
of
their
leaders
as
experienced
through
personal
interac<ons;
• how
senior
managers
handle
crises;
and
• the
policies
and
procedures
adopted
by
senior
leaders
to
manage
the
company.
• 2014
Study
conducted
by
Ethics
Resource
Center
www.erc.org

7. WHAT
THE
EXPERTS
RECOMMEND
• Seek
out
personal
character
when
hiring
and
make
24-­‐7
integrity
a
job
expecta<on.
• Educate
managers
about
the
way
employees
evaluate
leaders
• Encourage
leaders
to
share
credit
for
success
and
seek
honest
feedback
from
employees.
• Annually
review
business
objec<ves
and
policies
to
ensure
they
promote
ethical
performance.
2014
Study
conducted
by
Ethics
Resource
Center
www.erc.org

8. BUSINESS
ETHICS
" Would you embrace this as a strong Code
of Ethics?
" Would it help Employees do the “Right
Thing?”

9. BUSINESS
ETHICS
" Do you know what Company published this
award-winning Code of Conduct?

10. We
Shouldn’t
Be
Surprised…
If
we
don’t
set
the
stage
for
a
strong
workplace
culture,
the
weak
business
results
shouldn’t
be
surprising…no
maZer
how
sound
the
business
strategy!

11. Someone
once
said…
The
probability
of
somebody
watching
you
is
directly
propor<onate
to
the
stupidity
of
your
ac<ons.”

12. And
yet
the
organiza:onal
challenges
con:nue…

13. Some
Sobering
Sta:s:cs
• Nearly
one-­‐third
of
employees
surveyed
say
their
coworkers
condone
ques:onable
ethics
prac:ces;
• Most
frequent
misconduct
includes:
in:mida:ng
behavior
(21%),
misrepor:ng
of
hours
worked
(20%),
lying
(19%)
and
withholding
needed
informa:on
(18%)
• Nearly
3
in
5
employees
who
report
misconduct
are
sa:sfied
with
their
organiza<on’s
response.
Source:
Watson
WyaZ

14. Unethical
Business
Prac:ces
Impac:ng
Culture
and
Strategy
• Abusive
or
In<mida<ng
Behavior
• Accurate
but
Incomplete
Disclosures
• Discrimina<on
against
Protected
Classes
• Receiving/Offering
Bribes,
Kickbacks
or
Incen<ves
• Thee
or
Fraud:
Personal
Use
of
Company
Property
or
Expense
Account
• Misrepresenta<ons
• Sexual
Harassment
• Separa<on
without
Fair
No<ce
or
Cause
• Cuing
corners
on
health/safety
issues

15. ETHICS
AND
THE
LAW
• Legal Requirements often represent an
Ethical Minimum
• Personal Ethical Standards Generally
Exceed Legal Standards
ETHICS
LAW
• Laws
are
ethical
issues
with
societal
implica:ons
as
interpreted
by
a
Federal
or
State
Legislature
• Personal
ethics
have
broader
context
and
applica:on

16. FORCES
THAT
SHAPE
BUSINESS
ETHICS
Is the
Decision
or Behavior
Ethically and
Socially
Responsible?
Beliefs and Values
Moral Development
Ethical Framework
Founder
History
Defining Moments
Government Regulations
Customers/Clients
Special Interest Groups
Market Forces
Structure
Policies and Rules
Code of Ethics
Reward System
Selection and Training
External StakeholdersOrganizational Systems
Personal Ethics Organizational Culture

17. Business
Bias
in
Ethical
Decisions
When
confron<ng
ethical
issues,
generally,
organiza<ons
seek
to
preserve/address:
• the
Organiza<on
• Customer
Rela<onships
• Employee
Concerns

18. Need
to
be
“SELF”
Focused
Consider
short-­‐,
mid-­‐
and
long-­‐range
impact
in
the
areas
of:
q Strategy
q Ethics
q Legal
q Fiscal
This
requires
an
ongoing
business
conversa<on.
Source:
Dr.
Patrick
Wright,
Associate
Professor,
ILR
School,
Cornell
University

19. Highly
Ethical
Organiza:ons
• They
are
at
ease
interac<ng
with
diverse
internal
and
external
stakeholders.
• Every
individual
assumes
personal
responsibility
for
ac<ons
within
the
organiza<on,
making
individuals
responsible
to
themselves.
• These organizations
are obsessed with
fairness.
• They view their
activities in terms of
purpose and this
purpose is a way of
operating that clients/
employees value.

20. Classifications of Business
Ethical Issues
• Conflicts
of
Interest
• Fairness
and
Honesty
• Communica<ons
• Organiza<onal
Rela<onships
• External
Rela<onships
within
Industry,
with
Customers/Clients,
etc.

21. Seven-­‐Step
Analysis
• Define
the
problem
• Iden:fy
the
stakeholders
and
obtain
all
necessary
facts
• Iden:fy
all
possible
alterna<ves
• Objec:vely
evaluate
all
alterna<ves
• Make
a
decision
and
test
it
against
the
four
considera<ons
above
(legal,
company
policies,
organiza<onal
values
and
personal
values)
• Implement
the
decision
• Evaluate
the
decision
and
make
adjustments,
as
needed.

22. Ethics
Resources
and
Support
• Code
of
Ethics
(Standards)
• Code
of
Conduct
(Ac<ons)
• Communica<ons
Network:
Formal
and
Informal
Processes
for
Reinforcing
and
Refreshing
• Con<nuing
Educa<on

23. Ethical
Leadership
• Decision-­‐making
includes
personal,
organiza<onal
and
societal
values
• Ethical
values
are
always
open
to
discussion
and
cri<cism
subject
to
“fire
wall”
between
indisputable
standards
and
case-­‐by-­‐case
excep<ons
• Accepts
responsibility
for
sound
moral
judgments:
It’s
in
everyone’s
job
descrip<on
to
be
a
“Chief
Ethics
Officer”

24. Recrui:ng
for
Ethical
Behavior
• Skills
and
knowledge
not
enough
• Iden<fy
those
behavioral
characteris<cs
that
support
a
strong
ethical
culture

25. Key
Behavioral
Aributes
• Ability
to
maintain
strong
ethical
stance
even
in
the
face
of
strong
opposi<on
to
the
contrary
• Ability
to
balance
compe<ng
business
interests
in
a
way
that
supports
strong
ethical
values

26. Ethical
Leaders…
• Regularly
communicate
and
discuss
the
organiza<on’s
shared
values,
opera<ng
principles,
and
ethical
standards
• Lead
by
strong
personal
example
• Use
values
to
drive
decisions
• Devote
training
resources
to
empower
employees
with
understanding
Source: Leading by Ethics (Harvey, Smith and Sims)
• Pay
aZen<on
to
percep<ons
(avoid
even
the
mere
appearance
of
impropriety)
• Focus
on
steady,
incremental
change
(focus
on
“lots”
of
improvements
in
“lots”
of
areas
• Hire
and
promote
ethical
people
(ONLY
select
those
individuals
who
believe
in
these
principles
and
who
behave
with
integrity.)
• Hold
people
accountable

27. The
Lesson
of
the
Business
Card

28. The
Final
Test
of
a
Leader…
is
that
he/she
leaves
behind
in
others
the
will
and
the
convic<on
to
carry
on.
Source:
Walter
Lippmann
on
Leadership

29. ETHICAL
LEADERSHIP
IN
ACTION

30. Final Thoughts
• “Character
is
the
sum
total
of
all
our
everyday
choices.”
–
Margaret
Jensen
• “Some
men
succeed
by
what
they
know,
some
by
what
they
do;
and
a
few
by
what
they
are.”
–
Elbert
Hubbard

31. And My Personal Favorite…
“Never
bargain
away
that
which
is
invaluable…your
reputa?on
is
invaluable.”
–
Peter
Alevas,
Jr.
(1926
–
1978)

32. Culture Eats Strategy
for Breakfast
• Protect
your
reputa<on
• Guard
your
organiza<on’s
brand
• Foster
an
ethical
workplace
culture
that
is
strategically,
legally
and
ethically
sound
• Posi<on
the
en<re
team
to
execute
the
business
strategy
• Celebrate
organiza<onal
and
individual

33. Thank
you!