Understanding Ethics and Compliance

Abstract

This article provides a big-picture overview of the field of ethics and compliance, paying particular attention to the role and value of collaborating with human resources to achieving effective ethics and compliance programs. I hope this article will be useful to students of ethics and compliance, current and aspiring ethics and compliance practitioners, and professors who teach in the area. The article begins by exploring the historical milestones of ethics and compliance to establish the context and legal foundation of modern ethics and compliance practice. We go on to discuss the role of ethics and compliance teams in today’s companies, and the interplay of ethics and compliance, the general counsel’s office, and the human resources department. We then explore the critical function of the code of conduct in an effective ethics and compliance program, from which point we examine the importance of training and role modeling to achieving an ethical culture. We conclude by discussing internal investigations and whistleblowers. At every stop along the way, we look at the critical role of human resources and other key stakeholders in achieving effective ethics and compliance programs.