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Journal of Business Ethics (2010) 92:385400 Springer 2009 DOI 10.1007/s10551-009-0163-4
Metaphors and the Application of a Corporate Code of Ethics
Simone J. van Zolingen Hakan Honders
ABSTRACT. This article researches how a corporate code of ethics (CCE) implemented in local government X has influenced the behavior of its employees, middle managers, and managers. Metaphors from the existing and desired CCE elicited by these three groups provided information on how to improve the effectiveness of the CCE. This method proved to be very fruitful. It appeared that continuous systematic attention needed to be paid to the CCE after the CCE had been implemented, particularly by management. Initiatives from management to start discussions about relevant questions of integrity appeared to be also necessary to make the topic a normal topic which employees were no longer afraid to discuss. In this way, the possibility could be created to develop collectively a practical frame of reference concerning relevant questions of integrity that would help employees to make decisions in difficult situations during their work in the future.
KEY WORDS: corporate code of ethics, metaphor, implementation, effectiveness
Problem statement
Nowadays, many corporations are developing and implementing a corporate code of ethics (CCEs) (Helin and Sandstr}
om, 2007; Schwartz, 2002). Growing international and domestic business scandals during the 1970s and 1980s led companies to implement a code of ethics as a symbol to show both internal and external stakeholders their commitment to ethical practices. Schwarz (2002, p. 28) denes a CCE as a written, distinct and formal document which consists of moral standards used to guide employee or corporate behavior. Organizations use a CCE to anchor values and norms in the culture of the organization and to steer the behavior of employees. Despite the prevalence of CCEs in large organizations, there is relatively little empirical evidence
available regarding the effectiveness of CCEs on perceptions and behavior in organizations (Callan, 1992; Cleek and Leonard, 1998; Murphy, 1995; Weeks and Nantel, 1992). However, according to Kaptein and Wempe (2002), the power of thinking and discussing the content of a CCE and the dialog concerning what should be included and what should not be included is worthwhile. In this article, we look at CCEs from the perspective of social constructivism (Rogoff, 1990; Vygotsky,...