2015 was plagued by many scandals, most of them related to corruption and ethics: FIFA: last December, 16 FIFA officials were charged with involvement in bribery and corruption.Its President and Union of European Football Associations President were both suspended for eight years from any soccer activity. Volkswagen: last September, the EPA found (and the car company confirmed) they were cheating about their diesel emissions test.
How do you think we can avoid these behaviors to affect our projects? Do you have any plan to track and measure ethics? Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I am seeing some kind of obsession about that. It is sad for me to see that this topics are putting on the table for lot of institutions when something happend. Is the same when you see a lot of key principles written for some well known people before they are aware they will die while in their life those principles were not practiced for that people. I suffer myself situations where I have gave up from a job because I never agree with corruption and because of that I was unemployed. This type of topics must be discussed inside a context and in case of ethic is a matter of phylosophy. But it is sad for me that some institutions pay attention to those topics when things happend. And it is beyond to have or not to have a code of ethics. It is a matter to work promoting the ethic inside the organization by having a program to make people to understand what ethic is for the organization performing training and certifications.
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1 reply by Fabio Rigamonti
Feb 20, 2016 8:44 AM
Fabio Rigamonti
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Hi Luis,
I agree that Companies and individuals focus on ethics when they're charged for bribery or corruption. In the two examples, we see that a breach on ethics has disruptive effect on personal level or company's results.
On the other hand, business ethics is not philosophy, but a very concrete, day-to-day matter, and it has a strong influence in project's success, in my opinion.
I second your life choices, even I know they were tough times; Sallie Krawcheck once said: "If it comes down to your ethics vs. your job, choose ethics. You can always found another job"
I am seeing some kind of obsession about that. It is sad for me to see that this topics are putting on the table for lot of institutions when something happend. Is the same when you see a lot of key principles written for some well known people before they are aware they will die while in their life those principles were not practiced for that people. I suffer myself situations where I have gave up from a job because I never agree with corruption and because of that I was unemployed. This type of topics must be discussed inside a context and in case of ethic is a matter of phylosophy. But it is sad for me that some institutions pay attention to those topics when things happend. And it is beyond to have or not to have a code of ethics. It is a matter to work promoting the ethic inside the organization by having a program to make people to understand what ethic is for the organization performing training and certifications.
Hi Luis,
I agree that Companies and individuals focus on ethics when they're charged for bribery or corruption. In the two examples, we see that a breach on ethics has disruptive effect on personal level or company's results.
On the other hand, business ethics is not philosophy, but a very concrete, day-to-day matter, and it has a strong influence in project's success, in my opinion.
I second your life choices, even I know they were tough times; Sallie Krawcheck once said: "If it comes down to your ethics vs. your job, choose ethics. You can always found another job" Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
These corruption issues are of high possibility to occur everywhere. In my previous company,cwecused to have anti-corruption and ethics procedures, campaigns, training and yet, it used to happen all the time but on a smaller level because there was high control. The only things besides having an anti-corruption system to to monitor and control vigilantly.
The bigger the organization, the higher is the tendency of corruption occurrence and the higher are the required control measures because if it was not controlled, it could bring the project down in many ways.
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1 reply by Fabio Rigamonti
Feb 21, 2016 3:03 AM
Fabio Rigamonti
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Hi Rami,
on project's environment, what system would you suggest to monitor and control corruption? Or any other tool to help PMs?
These corruption issues are of high possibility to occur everywhere. In my previous company,cwecused to have anti-corruption and ethics procedures, campaigns, training and yet, it used to happen all the time but on a smaller level because there was high control. The only things besides having an anti-corruption system to to monitor and control vigilantly.
The bigger the organization, the higher is the tendency of corruption occurrence and the higher are the required control measures because if it was not controlled, it could bring the project down in many ways.
Hi Rami,
on project's environment, what system would you suggest to monitor and control corruption? Or any other tool to help PMs?
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1 reply by Rami Kaibni
Feb 22, 2016 12:08 AM
Rami Kaibni
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Hi Fabio,
Depending on the organization and project type, size andcnature. Generally speaking, I personally find it very useful to have a plan within the project management plan called: Anti-Corruption Management where a team of 1 or 2 members would be in charge of it and their sole responsibility is to monitor and control. I do not prefer using tools, human interaction and observation is the best way to desl with such crucial issues.
Saving Changes...
PANKAJ KUMAR JOSHIGeneral Manager| Transrail Lighting LimitedNainital, Uttrakhand, India
There are always unethical practices in business and we talk about them when someone get caught.
It can be avoided if the top management strictly follows the ethical guidelines but it rarely happens in this opportunistic market. As a PM it is difficult to sometime to it is a matter of principle which path he chooses.
If there is no whistle blower policy(never exists practically) in company; you cannot oppose your superior on this kind of issues so you have no option other than leaving your job.
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1 reply by Fabio Rigamonti
Feb 23, 2016 3:32 AM
Fabio Rigamonti
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Indeed top management is core on defining ethics.
There's an HBR article I particulary like which reports that "the top managers in an organization create a ceiling and that includes their honesty and integrity. In other words, levels of honesty are set at the top and can only go downhill from there"
But in projects, there are no hierarchical relationship, therefore it's about influencing the closest stakeholders, and having them promoting our values.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Sure Fabio. And I firmly believe that institutions or organizations must take this as a way of life instead to have a code of ethics that some people need to learn to get a certification or start in putting focus when things happend. This type of things must be continually addressed by learning and training, by regular seminars to explain the insitution or organization place in this matter, etc, etc. Obviously the same for companies. Saving Changes...
This is a topic where everyone wants to talk about others. In fact many might have not been aware of any wrong doings. But ethically we must ensure it should be prevented as much as you can help preventing.
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1 reply by Fabio Rigamonti
Feb 23, 2016 3:33 AM
Fabio Rigamonti
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Indeed a self-assessment should always be done to check if our behaviours are ethical and where we can improve them.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Feb 21, 2016 3:03 AM
Replying to Fabio Rigamonti
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Hi Rami,
on project's environment, what system would you suggest to monitor and control corruption? Or any other tool to help PMs?
Hi Fabio,
Depending on the organization and project type, size andcnature. Generally speaking, I personally find it very useful to have a plan within the project management plan called: Anti-Corruption Management where a team of 1 or 2 members would be in charge of it and their sole responsibility is to monitor and control. I do not prefer using tools, human interaction and observation is the best way to desl with such crucial issues. Saving Changes...
There are always unethical practices in business and we talk about them when someone get caught.
It can be avoided if the top management strictly follows the ethical guidelines but it rarely happens in this opportunistic market. As a PM it is difficult to sometime to it is a matter of principle which path he chooses.
If there is no whistle blower policy(never exists practically) in company; you cannot oppose your superior on this kind of issues so you have no option other than leaving your job.
Indeed top management is core on defining ethics.
There's an HBR article I particulary like which reports that "the top managers in an organization create a ceiling and that includes their honesty and integrity. In other words, levels of honesty are set at the top and can only go downhill from there"
But in projects, there are no hierarchical relationship, therefore it's about influencing the closest stakeholders, and having them promoting our values. Saving Changes...
This is a topic where everyone wants to talk about others. In fact many might have not been aware of any wrong doings. But ethically we must ensure it should be prevented as much as you can help preventing.
Indeed a self-assessment should always be done to check if our behaviours are ethical and where we can improve them. Saving Changes...
I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they choose a king, they don't just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some good ideas.
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