Accountability Project - Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

What is a company code of conduct and why does your company need it?

A code of conduct is a central component of a business ethics program. A сode is often the primary mean by which management gives guidelines to its employees as to what is expected of them.
The target audience is the enterprise as a whole and at the same time it may contain specific policies and procedures to direct at specific functions, such as procurement or contracting.

Basic types of codes:
Compliance codes – specific statements giving guidelines and prohibiting certain kinds of conduct.
Corporate credos – broad general statements of corporate commitments to constituencies, values, and objectives.
Management philosophy statements – formal enunciation of the company or CEO’s way of doing business.
Codes of ethics – statements of values and principles that define the purpose of an organization.
Codes of practice – which guide and direct decision-making.
Codes of conduct – which prescribe or proscribe certain behavior.

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Usefull information

The Corporate Governance Code
The Corporate Governance Code was prepared under the direction of the Federal Commission for the Securities Market by "Coudert Brothers" Legal Advisers.
The project was financed out of the grant of The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which was secured by Japanese government.