Chief Ethics Officer - Assignment Example

Ethics try to determine what people must do and the goals that they need to pursue. The Chief Ethics Officer is the most important person in the C-level executive suite (Vallabhaneni, 2008). This report tries to highlight the roles and responsibilities of the Chief Ethics Officer. It also tries to identify the parameter’s that is necessary to avoid organs and leadership toxicity. It talks about the leadership skills required to ensure implementation and success. The company chosen for the study is Ford Motors Company.

Job Description of Chief Ethics Officer Ford Motors is recognized as a renowned car manufacturing company of the world. The company is headquartered at Dearborn, Michigan. Being the new Chief Ethics Officer of Ford Motors, the following are the things that need to be done according to his responsibilities. Since internationally corporate unethical behavior pervades in an uncontrollable manner, they can however be cured if the companies appoint the Chief Ethics Officer in order to lessen the impacts of such unethical behaviors (Tran, 2010).

It has been proposed that the system where the Ethics Officer reports to the management needs to be changed in order that these officers can perform their task effectively. The ethics officer must be hired and fired directly by the corporate board of directors instead of the company management. This kind of change in the reporting environment helps to enhance the effectiveness and independence of the ethics officer. There are numerous organizations that create and maintain the ethics position.

The main responsibility of the ethics manager or officer is to improve the organizational ethical performances. They need to advise and assist the corporate management in the development and maintenance of the codes of conducts. They also have the additional responsibility of providing ethics training, monitoring along with accountability programs (Hoffman & Et. Al., 2007). The major role and responsibility of the Chief Ethics Officer is that they need to develop an ethics manual that will clearly describe the procedures and the policies on conflict of interest and codes of conduct.

The policies need to be such that it restricts regarding the acceptance and giving of the gifts and travel by procurement, marketing, contracting and sales personnel. The chief responsibility of the ethics officer would be to prepare the rules that require written disclosures of the executives’ financial condition along with the outside earned income activities. He needs to ensure that there is adequate transparency in matter of disclosure of the financial statements and the position of the firm to the shareholders.

The protection of the property of the organization and the key information are other important roles of the ethics officer in Ford Motors. In addition to these, the officer needs to perform certain other functions as well. He needs to promote a positive ethical climate in the organization via his leadership skills. He needs to work with the internal audit departments for the development of the audit plans and identify the areas of audit that will address the ethical violations. Parameters Necessary to Avoid Organ and Leadership Toxicity It has been noted that in the recent days,