Abstract
Research background: Ethical conduct is considered a pillar of strength within the context of corporate social responsibility. The basic tool for achieving this is a code of ethics, which should form the basis for the ethical management of any company. Globalisation and internationalisation have brought with them the need to have a high-quality code of ethics in place, one that is balanced in terms of content. Purpose of the article: The aim of the research presented in this contribution is to determine, by means of qualitative comparative analysis, to what extent codes of ethics meet key preconditions for efficacy. Methods: The analysis was carried out on a sample set of 40 companies from various industrial sectors, and of various size, ownership structure and origin. All the companies were active in the Czech Republic at the time. The main preconditions for determining the efficacy of a code of ethics, and which therefore formed the basis for the qualitative comparative analysis, were set in advance. Findings & Value added: The results of the analysis revealed that significant differences exist between companies with national and international spheres of activity with regards to the content and form of their codes of ethics. As a consequence, the preconditions for efficacy were judged not to have been fully met. The primary reason for the differences was the level of importance managements and owners of companies assign to a code of ethics and the emphasis they place on adherence to the provisions set forth in them.
Highlights
In today's globalising world, the role of a code of ethics as a tool for the ethical management of a company is growing
Bartley and EgelsZandén [17] examined in what way and under what terms labour conditions are defined in manufacturing companies that have yet to put a code of ethics in place
They found that the codes of ethics of Slovak companies are more focused on ethical issues, which reflects the greater incidence of ethical problems, while those of German companies more often focus on global matters and environmental protection
Summary
In today's globalising world, the role of a code of ethics as a tool for the ethical management of a company is growing. Egels-Zandén and Lindholm [16] both claim that in general, codes of ethics improve the rights of employees They add that very few highquality research studies exist that confirm this in a demonstrable way. Bartley and EgelsZandén [17] examined in what way and under what terms labour conditions are defined in manufacturing companies that have yet to put a code of ethics in place They discovered that the rights of employees are most often breached in such companies. This is demonstrated by Yu [18], who claims that companies without codes of ethics are more inclined to breach human and labour rights In his analysis of the contents of codes of ethics, Kaptein [19] found that 67% of companies emphasize their responsibility for the quality of their products and services, 57% adherence to regulations, and 56% environmental protection. They found that the codes of ethics of Slovak companies are more focused on ethical issues, which reflects the greater incidence of ethical problems, while those of German companies more often focus on global matters and environmental protection
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