Ethics By Design announces the launch of Managing Corporate Integrity, its flagship ethics course on Global Classroom. "This course is devoted to the task of developing effective ethics policies in organizations of all shapes and sizes," says Dr. Michael Palmer, author and facilitator of the course. Palmer added, "Good ethics programs

• help protect the organization against fraud, theft, and other misconduct by employees and other stakeholders;


• build trust among all stakeholders, improving the cooperation that is essential to business success; and


• improve the quality of decision making throughout the organization.

"We chose the name 'Ethics By Design' to convey the idea that ethics in organizations must be intentional, something leaders build into the architecture of the business. The idea is to use scientific principles of social and organizational psychology to make sure your company is as good as you are."

Managing Corporate Integrity is a self-paced, on-line course which has been approved for 48 general re-certification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR re-certification through the HR Certification Institute. The course equips HR Professionals and other business leaders with the knowledge and resources needed to develop ethics policies that exceed the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley and Federal Sentencing Guidelines and form the foundation for growing an ethical culture in any business organization no matter how large or small. (More information on the course is available at www.ethicsbydesign.com.)

A business in which good work, honesty, and fairness are the consistent standards of behavior and decisions - for individuals as well as the company - will have better performance, lower costs, higher profitability, and greater longevity than comparable organizations in which mediocrity, slipshod performance, expediency, short cuts, or sleazy behavior are acceptable. This is not a supposition. Numerous scientific studies support this conclusion, and it is even more the case in financially challenging times. When money is tight, bankers are more likely to lend to an unquestionably honest and trustworthy company than one that cuts ethical corners for short-term gain.

The authors of a 1995 Chamber of Commerce study found that 30% of all business failures are the result of fraud and theft. The major cause of sluggishness in business is employee disengagement, which leads to absenteeism, low productivity, high turnover, and even sabotage - all causes of mediocre financial performance or worse. Both misconduct and disengagement come about when employees feel that they are not involved in a meaningful and emotionally rewarding endeavor or that they are disrespected and treated unfairly. Neglect of ethics leads to misconduct that gives rise to lawsuits, the most exasperating negative return on investment there is.

Ethics By Design also developed The Corporate Integrity Checklist, which may be the only code of conduct your small business ever needs. The company expects to offer a course on this program through Global Classroom shortly.