Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of

business ethics Business ethics (also known as Corporate Ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics, that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business co ...

codes of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly writt ...

for employees, and codes of professional practice.

Code of ethics or code of conduct? (Corporate or business ethics)

Many organizations use the phrases ''ethical code'' and ''code of conduct'' interchangeably, but it may be useful to make a distinction. A code of ethics will start by setting out the values that underpin the code and will describe an organization's obligation to its stakeholders. The code is publicly available and addressed to anyone with an interest in that organization's activities and the way it operates. It will include details of how the organization plans to implement its values and vision, as well as guidance to staff on ethical standards and how to achieve them. However, a code of conduct is generally addressed to and intended for the organization's leaders and staff. It usually sets out restrictions on behavior, and will be far more focused on compliance or rules than on values or principles.

Code of practice (professional ethics)

A code of practice is adopted by a profession (or by a governmental or non-governmental organization) to regulate that profession. A code of practice may be styled as a code of professional responsibility, which will discuss difficult issues and difficult decisions that will often need to be made, and then provide a clear account of what behavior is considered "ethical" or "correct" or "right" in the circumstances. In a membership context, failure to comply with a code of practice can result in expulsion from the professional organization. In its 2007 International Good Practice Guidance, ''Defining and Developing an Effective Code of Conduct for Organizations'', the International Federation of Accountants provided the following working definition: "Principles, values, standards, or rules of behavior that guide the decisions, procedures and systems of an organization in a way that (a) contributes to the welfare of its key stakeholders, and (b) respects the rights of all constituents affected by its operations." Listed below are a few example statements from the professional codes of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...

(SPJ): ; PRSA Code of Ethics : "Loyalty: We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest." : "Fairness: We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression." ; SPJ Code of Ethics : "Minimize Harm … Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness. … Balance a suspect’s right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know. Consider the implications of identifying criminal suspects before they face legal charges. …" : "Act Independently … Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts."

General notes

Ethical codes are often adopted by management and also employers, not to promote a particular moral theory, but rather because they are seen as pragmatic necessities for running an organization in a complex society in which moral concepts play an important part. They are distinct from moral codes that may apply to the culture, education, and religion of a whole society. It is debated whether the politicians should apply a code of ethics, or whether it is a profession entirely discretionary, just subject to compliance with the law: however, recently codes of practice have been approved in this field. Often, acts that violate ethical codes may also violate a law or regulation and can be punishable at law or by government agency remedies. Even organizations and communities that may be considered criminal in nature may have ethical codes of conduct, official or unofficial. Examples could include hacker communities, bands of thieves, and

street gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

s. Codes seek to define and delineate the difference between conduct and behavior that is malum in se, malum prohibitum, and good practice. Sometimes ethical codes include sections that are meant to give firm rules, but some offer general guidance, and sometimes the words are merely aspirational. In sum, a code of ethics is an attempt to codify "good and bad behavior".

Examples

; Medical workers and physicians : Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief : Declaration of Geneva :

Hippocratic Oath The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. In its original form, it requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing gods, to uphold specific e ...

: Percival's ''Medical Ethics'' : Madrid Declaration on Ethical Standards for Psychiatric Practice ; Military, warfare, and other armed conflict : Bushidō (Japanese samurai) :

Chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours we ...

Code of the U.S. Fighting Force The Code of the U.S. Fighting Force is a code of conduct that is an ethics guide and a United States Department of Defense directive consisting of six articles to members of the United States Armed Forces, addressing how they should act in combat ...

: International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation ("ICOC" or "Hague Code of Conduct") : Israel Defense Forces Code of Conduct : Pirate code : Uniform Code of Military Justice (United States) : Warrior code ; Religious : Code of Ma'at ( Ancient Egypt) : Eight Precepts (Buddhism) : Five Precepts (Buddhism) : Golden Rule / Ethic of reciprocity (various) :

Seven Laws of Noah In Judaism, the Seven Laws of Noah ( he, שבע מצוות בני נח, ''Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach''), otherwise referred to as the Noahide Laws or the Noachian Laws (from the Hebrew pronunciation of "Noah"), are a set of universal moral law ...

( Judaism) : Patimokkha (Buddhism) : Quran (

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

) : Rule of St. Benedict ( Christian monasticism) : Ten Commandments ( Abrahamic religions) : Ten Precepts (Buddhism) : Ten Precepts ( Taoism) : Yamas and niyama ( Hindu scriptures) ; Others
American Library Association Code of Ethics
: Applied ethics :* Media ethics :

Aviators Model Code of Conduct The Aviators Code Initiative (ACI), formerly the Aviators Model Code of Conduct, is a Code of Conduct, set of model recommended practices designed to improve general aviation safety and airmanship. Overview Developed by a group of aviation profess ...

: Global civics :

ICC Cricket Code of Conduct The ICC Cricket Code of Conduct is a regulation regarding the conduct of professional players in the sport of cricket. Traditionally, cricket requires "gentlemanly" conduct from all players. The Code of Conduct is written and enforced by the Intern ...

: Institute of Internal Auditors, Code of Ethics : Journalist's Creed : Moral Code of the Builder of Communism

References

Sources

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External links

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The Fourteen Principles of Ethical Conduct for Federal Employees

The Code of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association
{{Authority control Codes of conduct Morality Professional ethics