Codes of Professional Ethics in the System of Regulation of Corporate Relations

Abstract

Introduction. The article presents a study of the feasibility of having corporate codes of ethics in corporations that have different statutory goals, examines questions about the correlation between business and moral rules, the role of ethical codes in the management of corporations, the practical benefits, “payback” of codes and attracting investments.Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study was the following general scientific and special methods of cognition of legal phenomena and processes: the method of system-structural analysis; method of synthesis of social and legal phenomena; comparative legal method; formal logical method.Research results. As a result of the study, the Author came to the conclusion that the presence of codes of professional ethics is an indicator of the moral maturity of a society (in our case, a corporation), which can independently regulate the behavior of its members without the help of the state.Regardless of the degree of connection between codes of ethics and federal legislation, their blanket nature or sovereignty, corporate codes of ethics remain one of the most important tools for managing the activities of a corporation and regulating corporate relations.Examining the codes of ethics of corporations, it can be stated that, when integrated with the law, they have a positive impact on increasing the efficiency of the corporation and the formation of a morally oriented corporate culture.The inclusion of ESG principles in corporate codes of ethics increases the company’s responsibility in the field of environmental protection and brings corporations to a new level of social significance. In turn, this leads to the socialization of the business and helps to increase the business reputation of the corporation.Discussion and conclusion. The study of corporate codes of ethics allows us to draw conclusions that, having the status of a corporate regulatory legal act, it is a flexible and full-fledged tool for managing a corporation.The interaction of law and morality in corporations is implemented through a new model of influence on management, where the norms of ethics and morality are intertwined with legal mechanisms to achieve a synergistic effect - the formation of a unique corporate culture.The practical uniformity of the categories of morality and ethics used in corporate codes of ethics provides grounds for the development of universal ethical principles for their mandatory use in these acts.