If you were developing an ethics program for your workplace, would you choose a values-based program or a compliance-based program?

If I had to choose an ethical program that would be implemented in the workplace, I’d go with a value-based approach. The focus of this type is to instill certain beliefs that are shared within the organization. These can be used for future decisions. When cultivating a positive culture, it is more successful because employees are encouraged to adopt certain standards.

In comparison, compliance-based programs are more focused on ensuring laws/regulations being followed rather than any deeper level moral principles that guide company’s operations. Although this can help companies avoid legal issues, such programs often do not succeed because there is no intrinsic motivation to them.

In the end, value-based programmes are preferred as these programs have shown to be much more effective when it comes to creating a corporate environment that is ethical. At the same time they provide stronger bases for developing long lasting organizational procedures and policies in order to ensure future successes.