A straightforward basic book on ethics in large corporate environments. Dr. Bauer makes some important points, including the differences among behavior that is legal but not ethical (such as working for a concentration camp), ethical but not legal (Gandhi's campaigns against the British), or both legal and ethical.
Other interesting points:
* Lawyer review creates the danger of mealy-mouthed statements that hold up in court but may actually make your company seem less ethical. Make sure the language is clear even after the lawyers go through it.
* Ethics programs are useless without employee buy-in
* Effective modeling of leadership and excellent customer service make ethics problems less likely
* Where to look for ethics challenges before they turn into crises (one benchmark: understanding the difference between a valid incentive and an ethically problematic inducement)
In Bauer's view, most ethics problems have roots outside the workplace, in emotional and financial issues faced by an individual employee; he has some ideas about minimizing their impact. Also about ensuring alternative reporting channels, so if a subordinate has to report a boss, there's someone other than the boss who can receive the message.
Shel Horowitz's award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, demonstrates how to build a business around ethics, environmental sustainability, and cooperative practices--and how to develop marketing that highlights those advantages.