Business success depends on purpose—and therefore ethics—being the top item on any organisation’s board agenda.

The Institute of Business Ethics is sending a clear message to the many FTSE 350 companies that lack an accessible ethics code.

Consumers and employers expect ethical corporate behaviour—and will vote with their feet when trust is breached.

Of the half of companies that have publicly available codes of ethics, only 57% of the codes are up to scratch, survey finds.

Codes of ethics are all well and good but they don’t tell the whole story. Staff also need a ‘framework’ for decision making.

Most top firms have a published code of ethics, but many lack the framework to help their employees make ethical decisions, research finds.

Ethics committees are a powerful signal of commitment to an ethical agenda. A recent study looked at the factors that determine whether an organisation takes this step.

The UK’s revised governance code will require boards to keep a watchful eye on their corporate cultures. To this end, understanding behavioural ethics can help instil the right values in employees.