Business Ethics for SMEs

Content

Many SMEs have a clear purpose and values, expressed through a strong culture that promotes ethical behaviour. This is often achieved without the aid of a formal programme. However, how can this be preserved when the people change, especially if the SME is growing? Or how can this ideal situation be created in the first place? And with stakeholder expectations growing, how can an SME ensure not only that it is ethical but that it is seen to be so?  

This recording examines the main elements of an ethics programme that can help SMEs to chart the right course: ethics risk assessment, to understand the issues that are most relevant; developing a code of ethics that can provide guidance for employees and express the organisation’s cultural aspirations; and training and communication activities to ensure understanding of what is expected.

Guidance is also provided on what to do when things go wrong.

Duration

1 hour (1 CPD unit)

Speaker

Chris Cowton

Chris ‘retired’ to London in 2019, following a long career in higher education, and took a part-time Associate Director role at the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE). He currently leads on the IBE’s research, training and advisory services. 

He is also Emeritus Professor at the University of Huddersfield, a Visiting Professor at Leeds University’s Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre and at the University of the Basque Country, Bilbao (Spain). He is a Chartered Governance Professional and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

He holds a BA (First Class Honours in Accounting and Financial Management) and PhD from Sheffield, an MA (by Special Resolution) from Oxford, an MScEcon from Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Philosophy from York.

He is also the author of more than 70 journal papers, has edited three books and has written many book chapters and other pieces, for both academic and practitioner audiences. He was Editor of the international journal, Business Ethics: A European Review, for a decade.