Example Case Studies

Learn valuable lessons from these organisations:

Rhino Records

Organisation culture and reputation enhancing business practices.

Rhino Records implemented ethical business practices to improve the lives of both employees and the communities in which they live. A California-based entertainment marketing company, they have undertaken two initiatives:

• It belongs to two organisations that promote ethical business practices;

• It has established a Life Enhancement Team that gives employees time off for `good behaviour`- therefore if they contribute 16 hours of community service work per year. After the first year, employees can earn an hour of time off for every volunteer hour, up to 48 hours.

Texas Instruments

An extensive ethics programme.

Communicating an ethics programme is more than a brochure or attending a training seminar. That's why the extensive ethics programme at Texas Instruments includes an in-house training programme called 'Decision Making in the New TI' and a tear-out card that is found at the back of the 14-page booklet 'The Values and Ethics of TI' (which has been given to all staff since 1961). The business card reminder is designed as a reference tool that staff can carry with them. It includes the following ethics test for employees to apply before taking an action:

Lockheed Martin Corp

With the assistance of external consultants Lockheed Martin created 'The Ethics Challenge' to help employees test and improve their ethics knowledge and problem solving skills. Using the Dilbert and Dogbert comic characters, 34 scenarios based on real problems that the ethics officers and employees deal with regularly, are presented. The game replaced the company's previous instructor-led workshops, and managers and supervisors now personally conduct the training with employees choosing case examples from the game that best match their department's situations. The company also introduced an ethics awareness programme on interactive CD-ROM, issued a 1999 ethics calendar and a computer screen saver featuring the company's 12 building blocks of trust.

British Airways Plc

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices in an airline.

British Airways, a UK based international airline, seeking to be recognised as a law abiding, accountable, and responsible organisation, developed a system to improve its environmental and social performance. The company mapped the potential impact of its business on human rights, identified relevant stakeholders and engaged them in the process. The Global Sullivan Principles (an initiative to promote ethical business operations throughout the world) were adopted in 2001 and a robust system to combat bribery and corruption was implemented.

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