Issue 16: May 2015
In this issue of Setting the Example we are proud to announce our involvement in The 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut. The articles in this issue focus on the theme of misconduct from various perspectives. We share key approaches on how to tackle misconduct and explore what public sector golden handshakes are really paying for. A number of very relevant articles are referenced which examine the issues of illicit financial outflows from Africa, loyal cheaters who cheat to help their employer, and whether the growth of the anti-bribery business represents “a cure that could be being more harmful than the disease”.
 

THE 702 SUN INTERNATIONAL CEO SLEEPOUT

Rise to the challenge

The Ethics Monitor is very proud to be the Ethics Partner for The 702 Sun International CEO SleepOut. Already a successful event in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and America, The CEO SleepOut™ is being launched in South Africa with the first SleepOut on Thursday, 18 June 2015. It is a really meaningful philanthropic initiative involving CEOs from SA’s top organisations whose donations will benefit Girls & Boys Town. For more information, to register, to watch the preview or to donate: http://www.theceosleepoutza.co.za.

 

TACKLING MISCONDUCT: ONE STEP FORWARD AND TWO STEPS BACK?

Edited extract from Ethics Can by Cynthia Schoeman

Managing misconduct is often described as “a fight”, whether against corruption, bribery, fraud or a range of other unethical and illegal behaviours. This captures the fact that seeking to eliminate or even to reduce misconduct is not an easy task: it can feel like an on-going battle that is never won. But it is an important area of ethics management that warrants serious attention and a clear approach. Read more …

 

WHAT ARE GOLDEN HANDSHAKES REALLY PAYING FOR?

Based on Cynthia Schoeman’s interview on Vuka Africa on ANN7 on 21 May 2015

A golden handshake is well recognised in business as a payment given to someone, generally an executive, who retires early or is made redundant, for example, owing to restructuring, a merger or an acquisition. The payment can be considered ethical if it is being paid in terms of a pre-existing employment contract and is declared by the organisation. When it is made to an executive who had contributed positively to the organisation, it may also be considered acceptable. However the use of golden handshakes in the public sector generally reflects quite another set of circumstances and intended outcomes. Read more ...

 

DAFT ON GRAFT AND THE ANTI-BRIBERY BUSINESS

The Economist, 9 May 2015

While acknowledging that bribery should be dealt with very firmly, these two articles look at how the “compliance industry” of lawyers and forensic accountants has grown, escalating the cost and time to resolve bribery cases. The proposal that the response must be proportionate is made relative to the stance that “anti-corruption campaigners would have nothing to cheer if the cure ended up being more harmful than the disease”. The Daft on Graft article proposes that enforcement should be reformed in four ways.
Draft on graft   |   The anti-bribery business

 

ETHICS CAN REVIEWS

Ethics Can by Cynthia Schoeman has received two noteworthy reviews: in the Jan|Feb|Mar 2015 issue of the IoDSA’s Directorship magazine and in GIBS’ Acumen magazine, Issue 12, Second Quarter 2015. Read more …

Ethics Monitor endorsement
“Monitoring our ethics via the Ethics Monitor survey has contributed to the company maintaining a sound ethical culture. Conducting the Ethics Monitor survey among our external stakeholders for the first time this year provided further valuable feedback and insight to our ethical standing with our external stakeholders.”
Renske Coetzee, Head of Human Resources, Redefine Properties Ltd

“Our on-going use of the Ethics Monitor survey has supported improved ethical results throughout the Group - as regards behaviour, factors that improve ethics or reduce misconduct and ethical boundaries.”
Kristell Holtzhausen, Company Secretary, The Insimbi Group of Companies

 

Loyal Cheaters: When organisations promote wrongdoing
Henrich Greve, INSEAD Professor of Entrepreneurship, 14 April 2015
Henrich Greve raises an interesting perspective that while we often think of wrongdoing as being the result of greedy employees acting against their company, this is often not the right picture. Instead he highlights circumstances when the perpetrators were cheating to help their employer – which warrants a different response from simply increasing organisational control. Read more …

 

Illicit finances: Mbeki's plan to 'Track it. Stop it. Get it'
By Greg Nicolson, posted on the Daily Maverick, 22 May 2015
An interesting article that looks at how much Africa is losing through illicit financial flows - at least $50 billion each year - and how this is impacting Africa. Read more …

 

Another FIFA scandal
“FIFA has refused to abide by many basic standards of good governance that would reduce the risk of corruption.” Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director, Transparency International

 

Send us a comment
We’d like to receive your comments on our newsletter or your suggestions of topics or issues which you think are pertinent. Please email cynthia@ethicsmonitor.co.za
 

About Ethics Monitoring & Management Services (Pty) Ltd

Ethics Monitoring & Management Services was started by Cynthia Schoeman to help organisations to improve ethics in the workplace and to encourage them to manage ethics proactively. Cynthia developed The Ethics Monitor, a web-based ethics survey, which enables organisations to measure, monitor and report on their ethical status. Ethics Monitoring & Management Services also offers ethics talks, workshop, consulting and training.

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Contact us

Cynthia Schoeman
Managing Director
Ethics Monitoring & Management
Services (Pty) Ltd
011 447 7661; 082 821 3729
cynthia@ethicsmonitor.co.za
www.ethicsmonitor.co.za

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