Defining the Corporate Ethics Brand

Ethics programs, designed and implemented by lawyers and auditors, seek to minimize the risk of harmful conduct through systems that provide employees with decision-making processes. In contrast, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs position the ethical corporation as an enterprise that integrates community concerns about the company’s economic performance with its social performance. Since a company’s ethical reputation depends on both ethics and CSR programs, integrating the two could result in presenting a coherent and effective company personality to its many stakeholders.