Blog

Paying a living wage is the ethical thing to do

This week marks Living Wage Week, a chance to reflect on what it means to be paid a ‘living’ wage and evaluate how well employers are living up to this promise. Originally set up as an initiative to tackle in-work poverty, the living wage has been defined as the salary an employee requires in order to cover their basic needs, including adequate food, shelter and clothing. This Living Wage week also signifies the point at which new living wage rates will be announced.

12 November 2019

Blog

The authentic organisation

Companies now have an array of tools to help them attract new talent. In a crowded marketplace and faced with increasingly aware and discerning candidates, there are powerful incentives for companies to paint highly flattering impressions of their culture. Projecting authenticity in this space is everything but, as Groucho Marx might have said, "if you can fake that, you’ve got it made”.

30 October 2019

Blog

Global Ethics Day – why we still need it

The 16th of October 2019 marks the sixth anniversary of Carnegie Council’s annual Global Ethics Day. Inspired by Earth Day, Global Ethics Day provides an opportunity for organisations around the world to hold events on or around this day, exploring the meaning of ethics in international affairs.

16 October 2019

Blog

Real Intelligence about AI

It’s a familiar human experience that rapid advances in technology outrun our ability to manage them well. New ethical risks take time to recognise, think through and manage, to ensure that these advances contribute consistently to flourishing lives and a better society. We can find ourselves playing moral catch-up. What do right and wrong mean, in an increasingly digital world? asks Professor Chris Cowton.

08 October 2019

Blog

The dissenting director

Often it can be difficult, if not impossible, for a dissenting director to stay on the board to implement a major decision that they have fundamentally disagreed with and voted against. But dissenting directors should not feel that resigning is their only option.

11 September 2019

Blog

Speaking Up is the ultimate act of loyalty

On Whistleblower Appreciation Day, there may be a focus on the big news stories, as we are grateful to those who have brought to the public attention issues of public safety, political corruption and corporate malfeasance, in the private, public and third sector.

29 July 2019

Blog

An interview with investigators

Katherine Bradshaw asks Peter Melling, Head of Litigation & Investigations and Andy Noble, Head of Whistleblowing & Speak Up at RBS  some common questions about the investigation process in this #SummerOfSpeakUp blog.

22 July 2019

Blog

Making a report - best practice for organisations

In previous weeks, various authors have explored what sorts of wrongdoing employees observe, and how managers can encourage a culture where employees feel safe to report. In this blog, I draw on academic research into effective speak up arrangements to highlight what organisations can do to make sure they have a process in place that is suitable for handling various types of concerns, and a process that employees can trust. 

18 July 2019

Blog

I am not a whistleblower

I have spoken up at work, but I am not a whistleblower. I’m just someone who couldn’t stand by without doing something. 

15 July 2019

Blog

Why having a supportive ethical culture matters to employee wellbeing

We’ve just celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week and with estimates suggesting that nearly 13% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health issues, more organisations are becoming aware of the need to support psychological as well as physical safety.

08 July 2019

Blog

What do employees want to speak up about?

"If Liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear,” wrote George Orwell in the original preface to Animal Farm. This is, in essence, what speaking up about ethical misconduct in the workplace is also about. 

01 July 2019

Blog

Changing attitudes to business - why millennials matter

Millennials have been a recurring theme in recent surveys on business ethics issues and they continue to have an impact on the business ethics agenda.

19 June 2019

Blog

An ethical approach moves AI from threat to opportunity

One of the biggest challenges facing business at present is how to exploit the opportunities afforded by Artificial Intelligence. There is a big temptation to spend a lot of time worrying about the risks – of cyber-attack or about the reputational damage that can follow if the algorithms make decisions which end up damaging the business.

11 June 2019

Blog

Views my own - ethics and social media

Business ethics starts where the law ends, and no more so than when it comes to social media. As a relatively new technology, there is little case law, and so we must rely on our ethical values to guide us.

14 May 2019

Blog

Ethics and values are at the heart of a sustainable culture

David Grayson: I am delighted to take on the chairmanship of IBE. Ethics and values are at the heart of creating a sustainable culture.

02 April 2019

Blog

Bringing your ethics training to life

One element of advisory work IBE is often asked for support with is the development of engaging training materials to help embed messages about values and encourage conversations about ethical issues for specific subjects and audiences.

19 March 2019

Blog

What were the ''hot'' ethical issues of 2018?

Now here is a surprise! The UK public’s trust in business has jumped and is at its highest level since 2003.

05 February 2019

Blog

Stop Press - trust in business on the rise

At the Institute of Business Ethics, we have some cautious good news. Public trust in British business is at its highest level in 15 years.

18 December 2018

Blog

Every day is ethics day

This week sees the celebration of both World Values Day and Global Ethics Day. But to us here at the IBE, every day is ethics day.

16 October 2018

Blog

Ethics is everybody's business

How can you support large numbers of employees in multiple locations in doing the right thing? One approach is to spread a network of ethics ambassadors throughout the business – it is an excellent way to ensure that messages about ethics and conduct are communicated effectively, consistently and meaningfully to staff in multiple territories.

18 April 2018

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