Discuss ethics training and communication. 150 words, please

ETHICS TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION A major step in developing an effective ethics program is implementing a training program and communication system to educate employees about the firm's ethical standards. The National Business Ethics Survey found that one in five workers-or 20 percentat com- panies with strong ethical cultures and formal ethics programs report witnessing miscon- duct, compared to 88 percent in organizations with weak cultures and ethics programs. A significant number of employees report they frequently find such training useful. Training can educate employees about the firm's policies and expectations, relevant laws and regu- lations, and general social standards. Training programs can also make employees aware of available resources, support systems, and designated personnel who can assist them with ethical and legal advice. Training can empower employees to ask tough questions and make ethical decisions. Many organizations are now incorporating ethics training into their employee and management development training efforts. The American Bar Asso- ciation adopted six proposals for its Model Rules of Professional Conduct dealing with issues such as client confidentiality protection when using technology and outsourcing. Governments often mandate training for officials as well. For example, employees working for the National Institutes of Health must undergo annual ethics training." As we emphasized in Chapters 5 and 7, ethical decision making is influenced by cor- porate culture, coworkers and supervisors, and the opportunities available to engage in unethical behavior. Ethics training can impact all three types of influence. Full awareness of a company's philosophy of management, rules, and procedures can strengthen both the corporate culture and the ethical stance of peers and supervisors. Such awareness, too, arms employees against opportunities for unethical behavior and lessens the likelihood of misconduct. Thus, the existence and enforcement of company rules and procedures limit unethical practices in the organization. If adequately and thoughtfully designed, eth- ics training can make employees aware of ethical issues, increase the importance of eth- ics training to employees, and increase employees' confidence they can make the correct decision when faced with an ethical dilemma. If ethics training is to be effective, it must start with a theoretical foundation based on values, a code of ethics, procedures for airing ethical concerns, line and staff involvements, and clear executive priorities on ethics, all of which must be communicated to employees. Managers from every department must be involved in the development of an ethics training program. Training and communica- tion initiatives should reflect the unique characteristics of an organization: its size, culture, values, management style, and employee base. To be successful, business ethics programs should educate employees about formal ethical frameworks and models for analyzing busi- ness ethics issues. Then employees can base ethical decisions on their knowledge of choices rather than on emotions. A key component of managing an effective and efficient ethics and compliance pro- gram is a firm grasp of techniques that clearly communicate the company's values, culture, and policies for dealing with ethical issues to employees. Many feel hands-on training when employees are forced to confront actual or hypothetical ethical dilemmas helps them understand how their organization would like them to deal with potential problems