White Papers

How is it that some organizations can successfully build positive and productive work environments while others become hotbeds of discontent and distrust? Organizations that have experienced problems with litigation, damage to reputation, high turnover rates, and other human resources concerns typically falter in a few specific key areas. Likewise, those that are able to build a civil workplace follow a common strategy that helps them succeed in retaining good employees, increasing productivity and morale, and creating a lawful and ethical culture.

Chastened by high-profile corporate scandals, organizations have scrambled to implement codes of conduct, disseminate the information as quickly as possible, and ensure strict compliance requirements are addressed. Yet these steps often have little or no impact on the organization’s culture – “how we do things here.” To drive ethical conduct, organizations need to focus on more than simply communicating legal requirements and disseminating carefully crafted policies.

Although most organizations have established values and are implementing sexual harassment training and other initiatives to comply with applicable laws, many have been unable to integrate their values into the workplace culture. Often, a compliance-driven approach has clouded the overarching cultural objectives the values are meant to address. With an array of subtler, not necessarily illegal behaviors increasingly causing harm in the workplace, the law cannot be relied upon as the sole driver of behavior change. Instead, the legal component should be viewed as one aspect of a broader initiative designed to align behaviors with the values and integrate them into the day-to-day culture.

As part of its commitment to end workplace sexual harassment, California has joined a number of states mandating sexual harassment prevention training for managers and supervisors. Much of the debate about such mandatory training requirements has focused on the tactical aspects – delivery methods, length of training, whether faster learners need additional content to ensure they participate in a full two hours of online training, which group of individuals needs to be trained, who can conduct the training, and similar concerns. While all of this is well intentioned, it likely misses the true objective of the regulations, which is to prevent, detect, and correct workplace harassment. Without changing behavior, the training – no matter how it’s delivered – will fall short of this goal.

Disruptive physician behavior – from yelling and public humiliating to threats and instrument throwing – can not only damage an institution’s reputation and create unnecessary legal risk, it can also interfere with patient care, research results, and faculty effectiveness. In today’s healthcare environment, professional behavior must be viewed as a necessary competency for the job, no less important than an individual’s technical skills. Reaching and motivating physician, researcher, and faculty audiences, however, requires a specialized approach.

Building a respectful, ethical workplace culture on a global scale is a complex and often daunting task. Many mulitnational organizations become overwhelmed by the maze of differing and sometimes conflicting legal, regulatory, and cultural issues they face, not to mention the logistical challenges inherent in such an initiative. However, several key action steps and strategies can help lay the foundation for a successful broader initiative by involving local stakeholders, gaining buy-in to overcome potential barriers, and developing plans that will be both credible and attainable.

Corporate scandals, public demand for greater corporate responsibility, and a continually evolving regulatory environment have driven interest and focus on compliance and ethics training. This Executive Summary provides an overview of recent findings from ELI’s survey of human resources and legal professionals representing Fortune 1000 organizations across an array of industries. The purpose of the study was to assess current levels of emphasis on corporate compliance and related training, determine how and why specific training solutions are chosen and factors affecting decision-making, and identify areas of subject matter focus.

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States changed our world and our workplaces in ways that will affect our jobs and responsibilities for many years to come. In the wake of this tragedy, leaders have heightened responsibilities for providing a civil, secure, and lawful workplace for all employees. Fair, objective treatment and decision-making must remain a priority to maintain ongoing productivity, effectiveness, and teamwork.