Code of Ethics - Assignment Example

?Company background Interfresh Marketing Company is a regionally based firm that specializes in marketing and distributing organic fresh food such asvegetables and fruits to local retail supermarkets. The company was established after the realization that there is need to engage in safe and environmental friendly practices in the production of fresh food. The aim of the company is to promote good health among the people as well as protecting the environment given that the majority of people engaged in this field use pesticides in the production of fresh products and these are detrimental to the environment in the long run. As such, this code of ethics has been designed to outline the guiding principles that will shape the operations of the company. The code of ethics outlined below is supposed to act as a manual that is intended to enlighten all the stakeholders about the importance of protecting the environment. Guiding principles Act on the basis of a well-informed knowledge. The company strives to generate as much knowledge as possible that will help to enlighten people to share and uphold its principles with regards to the need to protect the environment as well as to promote safe health among them. Shall be honest and trustworthy. These two elements are very important in the operations of the company since they will inculcate a sense of trust among the targeted consumers of the products distributed. Where there is mutual trust between the company and the consumers, the parties involved are likely to share the same vision which can lead to the attainment of the desired goals. Shall respect the dignity and integrity of all people. The company is non discriminatory and it strives to treat all people as equal regardless of their creed or belief. All people deserve to consume healthy food and the company will make sure that it delivers valuable products to all consumers. Purpose of the code The purpose of the code of ethics is to compel the members of the company to respect the society in which it operates. By virtue of operating in a certain society, the company should make sure that it respects the values of the people in the areas in which it operates. This is aimed at creating mutual trust among the community members so that the company can operate viably. The other aim of the code is to provide a framework that will guide the operations of the employees in their day to day activities. The objectives of the company can be achieved through the efforts of the employees hence the code is specifically meant to ensure that the workers operate within the expected standards. This will also help the company to gain credibility from the members of the society if its operations do not violet the values of the community members. Core values The company strives to promote the wellbeing of individual person, communities and the environment. Every person is important to the company and it shall strive to treat all people as equal. The other core value of the company is to promote the well being of the environment. This can be achieved through engaging in green practices that do not cause harm to the environment. Act responsibly in the community. The company is concerned about issues such as responsibility and accountability in its operations. In order to operate effectively, the company strives to be accountable for its actions so that they do not negatively impact on the other people. Promote community health and safety. This is the other core value of the company since it intends to promote good healthy among all the citizens involved. Essentially, the company will try to make an effort to engage all community members in its operations so that they can share the same vision with it. This will help it to improve its operations. Strive to meet the present needs of people without compromising the future generations to enjoy the same needs. The element of sustainability is a virtue in the operations of the company. The company’s main aim is to protect the environment so that future generations can also enjoy the same benefits from the same environment. Training and development In order to practice with diligent and professional competence, the company aims to provide constant development and training to the employees so that they can improve their skills. Different strategies will be used to carry out this task. Mentoring and coaching are the other strategies that will be used to perform this task. Develop knowledge and skills through learning. Promoting learning in the organization is a very effective strategy that can help the employees to share their ideas. This helps to generate knowledge that is very important in their operations. It should be noted that the company operates in an environment that is constantly changing hence this exercise is very important in the operations of the company. Employee involvement in decision making. Every employee at Interfresh Marketing Company is treated as a valuable asset. Therefore, all employees will be involved in the decision making process and this will help them to be creative in deciding ideas that can help to positively shape the performance of the company. Practice within legal requirements. The company will constantly educate the employees about the needs to practice within legal and statutory requirements. This will help the company to avoid negative aspects such as lawsuits and this will help to create trust among the customers. Definitions Values- these are beliefs that will shape the behaviour of the employees in the organization. Honesty- avoiding misrepresentation of facts or information for selfish, personal benefits at the expense of the consumers. Truthfulness- avoiding lies when dealing with clients. Integrity- being honest in our operations. Pride in or operations and showing respect to all the valuable clients to the organization. What employees it covers This code of ethics covers all employees in the organization regardless of their rank or position held in the company. All employees are treated as equal therefore they should share the same vision and values of the company so that their efforts can be directed towards the same goals. This code does not discriminate any employee hence it should be used as a manual to guide the operations of all the employees. The behaviour of all the employees should be shaped by this code of ethics and it should help them to develop a sense of belonging to the organization. How it will be implemented/communicated Upon joining the company, each employee will be presented with a brochure that contains this code of ethics. This will help the employees to read on their own the code so that they can fully understand what is expected of them. The leaders in different departments in the organization will also have a responsibility of explaining some of the sections of the code to the employees so that they fully understand it. Verbal communication can be used during certain instances where the leaders will discuss pertinent issues of the code with their ethics. This code should be upheld on a daily basis hence the leaders should make sure that they fully implement it in the day to day operations of the organization. The code of ethics will also be displayed in areas that are often frequented by people so that they can be constantly reminded about this important document. Supervisors can also be tasked to communicate with their subordinates about issues they think may need clarification in as far as the code of ethics is concerned. Communication is vital since it is designed to create mutual understanding among all members of the organization. How it will be enforced and reported The code of ethics will be enforced by the senior management in the company. The managers have authority and power to enforce such important documents and there are likely chances that it will be recognized once it has been enforced by people with authority. When the code has been enforced in the operations of the company, it becomes a binding law that should shape the behavior of the employees in their operations. The employees should report through their immediate leaders such as supervisors should they require any assistance pertaining to the code of ethics. The supervisors and other line managers will report directly to the senior management and these can periodically review the code to make sure that it is serving the interests of the company. Any necessary changes can be made whenever consensus has been reached by the responsible authorities. This can also be done in consultation with the other employees so that they would not feel alienated from this important element in their operations. Mission statement “To become a leader in promoting health through provision of quality organic food” This code of ethics is also going to be used to positively enlighten and influence community expectations about different aspects related to their health as well as the products offered by the company. This will help the members of the community to fully understand the nature of business done by the company. The other aspect that will be taken into consideration by the company is related to community involvement in aspects that shape the operations of the company. This will help the community members to share the same vision with the company. The code of ethics will also compel the leaders in the organization to provide clear and timely communications on all pertinent issues that can impact on the operations of the company. This can be achieved through the use of effective communication to all stakeholders involved in the operations of the organization. The code of ethics should be made available to any person who may require it. The code should also be made public to the members of the community who may be interested by the operations of the organization. This will help the company to gain the trust of the members of the public if it operates in a transparent manner. Read More