The Foundation, People and Ethos, Systems and Processes:

The Foundation

A belief that ethics is everyone’s responsibility.
An articulated and inspirational social purpose.
Thoughtfully identified core ethical values, whose meanings are clear to all employees, and continuous communication and training for all (including the board) to reinforce the values.
A public commitment by leaders and managers to EBP, including some form of a public statement.
Conscious commitment to continuous improvement, curiosity about the organisational culture and demonstration of the basis for placing trust in the organisation, involving listening and feedback from a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
Dedication to fairness in all aspects of the business and relationships.

People and Ethos

Leaders who are fully committed to ethical values and understand their role in creating an ethical culture, and who set a strong, positive example.
Employee involvement and engagement in fostering ethical business practice, such as using ethics ambassadors.
Management with the personalities and skills required to promote open communication, ethical decision-making, deep listening and to hold others to account.
Tolerance and encouragement of constructive conflict with no fear of reprisals for raising difficult issues.
A collaborative atmosphere—work across functions, business units and cultures with curiosity and respect, and the ability to learn lessons and continuously improve.

Processes and systems in alignment with ethical values and supporting ethical business practice, embedded in the business, not separate from it.
Performance management systems and incentive schemes that reward good leadership and ethical behaviours, not just results, and that do not foster unethical behaviour.
Provision of clear and adequate information and professional assistance to support all aspects of EBP.
Honest auditing, measurement and monitoring to enable the organisation to demonstrate the existence of a strong ethical culture and the basis for trust.