On March 27, at 1 pm, I’ll be hosting a Twitter chat on behalf of EPAC, the Ethics Practitioners’ Association of Canada. This is the first in what I hope will be a series of such chats. Participation is open.
The topic: “Fostering a ‘culture of ethics’ within organizations: tips and challenges.”
The recent letter by former Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith highlights the importance of organizational culture. In his letter, published in the New York times, Smith wrote:
“…culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs’s success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients.”
This is a very high-profile example of the crucial role that culture plays in organizational ethics and organizational behaviour more generally. (See my blog entry about Smith’s letter, here.)
During this EPAC Twitter Chat, we’ll discuss questions such as:
- What do we mean when we use a term like “ethical organizational culture” or “culture of ethics”?
- What are the key markers for determining the presence, or absence, of a culture of ethics?
- Is a “culture of ethics” different from a culture that enables ethical behaviour?
- What ‘tools’ does your organization use to manage culture?
- What ‘tools’ have you found work best?
- What can people with ethics/values roles at the middle of the organization do to help manage ‘tone at the top’?
To participate: please head to Twitter at 1 pm (Eastern) on the 27th, and use the hashtag #EPACchat.
(You can find me on Twitter, at: @ethicsblogger.)
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