European Business Ethics Forum: Sharing Ideas and Successful Practices
Annual Conference in association with IBE, ECOA, CEA-CED and EBEN for those responsible for ethics within their organisation.
view the conference website www.ebef.eu

Open Discussion
Ethical Due Diligence
Patrick Dunne, Group Communications Director, 3i

When entering into a new business relationship, from joint ventures to mergers and acquisitions, cultural fit and ethical compatibility are increasingly recognised as important elements of success. Checking out the ethical standards of business partners can ensure compatibility and control risks. But how does ethical due diligence work in practice? How transparent can companies really be when involved in acquisitions and takeovers?

3i are the only FTSE 100 private equity firm, each year investing over €2.7bn in projects and businesses. Patrick Dunne is Group Communications Director of 3i, he is probably best known for building up their Independent Directors Programme; he is also the author of Directors' Dilemmas and Chairman of Leap confronting conflict.

Speaker Lunch
How Imperial Tobacco approaches stewardship
Ian Bailey, Head of Science & Stewardship, Imperial Tobacco

Many companies operate in controversial sectors, from defence to alcohol, chemicals to tobacco. How do they introduce an ethical dimension into their strategies? With stewardship comes responsibility and accountability. How does this work out in practice?

• Are there particular problems for companies with controversial products applying their ethical values?
• How are ethical values extended to subsidiaries and acquisitions?

Ian Bailey is Head of Science & Stewardship at Imperial Tobacco and will share Imperial Tobacco's approach to these issues at an IBE lunch meeting which will be held under the Chatham House Rule on Thursday 28th February 2008.

Ethics in the Workplace
The Good Employer
Mike Emmott, Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development

The Institute of Business Ethics invites you to the first Ethics in the Workplace event of 2008 on Monday 3rd March at 5pm, where Mike Emmott, Employee Relations Adviser of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) will talk about what makes a "Good Employer".

• What is a 'good' employer?
• What factors influence employee well-being? Is it more than pay and conditions?
• How can HR and Ethics departments work together to enhance employee well-being?
• How can an employer be 'good' when faced with difficult decisions, such as redundancy?

Mike Emmott has been an adviser on employee relations at the CIPD since 1996. His interests include the changing employment relationship, employee engagement, corporate social responsibility and employment law. He will examine these questions which will then be followed by an open discussion under the Chatham House Rule.

Jenny Dawkins, Head of Corporate Responsibility Research at Ipsos MORI Reputation Centre will provide some context for the report. Simon Webley, the author of the report, will describe the main findings and the principal conclusions.

Roundtable
Promoting Integrity in Reporting
Anne Davis, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Calls for a renewal of integrity in business reporting are common whenever there is a lack of public confidence in business. An IBE survey conducted by Ipsos-MORI shows that the public believe that business is behaving less ethically that a year ago (54% compared to 58% in 2006). Mistrust in business leads to calls for greater regulation

• What can be done to enhance the standards of corporate reporting?
• What is meant by integrity in business reporting?
• Why is integrity in business reporting important?
• How can reporting inspire trust and confidence?
• How does an organisation achieve the consistency and openness required for reporting with integrity?

Speaker Lunch
Tackling corruption: Anglo American and the EITI
Edward Bickham, Executive Vice President, External Affairs Anglo American

Areas rich in natural resources are also among those which rate highest on the Transparency International Global Corruption Index. In past decades a lot of revenues from oil, gas and mining have been embezzled by elites in developing countries rather than used to promote wider development. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative is a multi-stakeholder response to these challenges.

Initiatives like the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative assist companies in fighting poverty and corruption; but how effective are they in reality?

• Do 'voluntary initiatives' like the EITI stand a realistic chance of delivering greater transparency and accountability?
• How can companies protect employees and their businesses whilst trying to operate with integrity?

Edward Bickham is Executive Vice President, External Relations at Anglo American plc.

Open Discussion
Ethics & Ageism
Rachel Krys, Employers Forum on Age

Age discrimination in employment is now unlawful.
But like most laws designed to combat discrimination and promote equality, there are many grey areas and much debate about what this really means, both for employers and employees.

• What are the ethical issues surrounding ageism in the workplace?
• What impacts does the new legislation have on the workplace?
• How are decisions about recruitment, redundancy and retirement affected?
• How can employers fairly reward loyalty and performance?
• Why is age an issue?

Rachel Krys is the Director of the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), the UK's leading authority on age. Founded in 1996 the EFA is an independent network of leading employers who recognise the value of an age diverse workforce.

Ethics in the Workplace
Crisis Management: Preparation - the Key to Avoiding Negligence
Dom Chester, Senior Consultant, Crisis Management and Business Continuity, Control Risks

Your product has been interfered with. How can you prevent the contaminated stock from reaching your consumers?

A natural disaster has devastated your premises. What do you do?

Your organisation is targeted in a campaign by Animal Rights Extremists. How do you communicate with your staff, neighbours, shareholders and other stakeholders?

The IBE invites you and your colleagues to the second Ethics in the Workplace event of 2008.

At this event, Dom Chester, Senior Consultant for Crisis Management at Control Risks will look at the ethical aspects of crisis management.

• What aspects need to be considered to ensure that any crisis is managed responsibly?
• How do we know when an incident or series of events constitutes a crisis?
• How far does an employer's duty of care extend in managing a crisis?
• Where does ethics come in to crisis management?