Frequently CSEP gets requests from professional societies
and other organizations interested in getting some help writing (or rewriting)
a code of ethics. Here are some tips and resources that can help smooth the
process.
Top down or bottom
up?
Though it may be tempting to form a committee of
organization leaders to expedite the process, think about ways to give all the
stakeholders a voice in the development of your organization’s code of ethics.
In 2005, CSEP started a project to develop a code of ethicsfor its home institution, Illinois Tech.
We hosted a series of focus groups of students, faculty, and staff and
asked individuals to share some of the ethical questions and issues they
regularly faced. This approach helped us
start an outline of what issues the Illinois Tech Code should cover and make
the code relevant to all members of our community.
Don’t reinvent the
wheel
Look at the codes of ethics of organizations similar to your
own. While codes often have many similar provisions, others have come up with
novel ways of providing guidance on issues such as communicating with the public
or upholding fair work practices.
Look outside your
organization for help
Have questions? Don’t be afraid to reach out to other ethics
committees, ethics and compliance officers, or other experts for help. The Ethics and Compliance Officer Association,
other professional associations both nationally and internationally, and the Association for Practical and Professional
Ethics are all good ways to try and connect with individuals who can help
in the process. And, don’t forget, the
CSEP Library can help put you in touch with experts in your field who have
drafted codes of ethics before.
Try and build
consensus
When putting together the Illinois Tech Code of Ethics, CSEP
brought together a committee made of individuals who participated in the focus
who helped to put together the draft version of the code. This committee then
brought it to meetings of the student council, faculty council, and staff
council for discussion and approval. Changes were made to the code after each
meeting. The process can take time, but the final version proved to be stronger
and accepted by the majority of the Illinois Tech community.
Codes are living
documents
A good code of ethics should change over time to reflect new
ethical challenges faced by an organization. For instance, the American
Astronomical Society has been working this spring on a new draft of their
code to better handle instances of sexual and other types of harassment. Other
issues that might also call for an organization’s code to be revised might be
issues of social media, privacy, or international collaborations.
Need more
information?
Check out these resources for more help on writing or
revising your organization’s code.
Davis, Michael. 2007. Eighteen
rules for writing a professional code of ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics 13 (2):171-189
The Center for Applied
Philosophy and Public Affairs provides
a number of examples that organizations can use in their code of ethics,
including the descriptions of ethics and morality, the different kinds of
codes, and even a process for developing a code of ethics that will include all
organizational stakeholders.
Creating A Code Of Ethics for Your
Organization, with many suggested
books, by Chris MacDonald
The Ethics & Compliance Initiative has a toolkit available for use, including tips, common code provisions,
and other helpful guidance.
The Deloitte Center for
Corporate Governance offers a variety of
resources for those who are active in governance, including a variety of
resources and a set of suggested guidelines for writing a code of ethics or a
code of conduct.
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