ACC 375 Week 5

Team Assignment : ACC 375 Code of Conduct and Ethics Report.

Your team has recently been hired by a newly formed, start-up manufacturing company. You are attending a meeting to discuss the establishment of company policies in anticipation of future hiring.

As you begin the meeting, the CEO addresses the need for a code of conduct policy, with an emphasis on ethical behavior. Other members of the team discuss the issue of growing business at any cost in order to keep the company growing. The CEO acknowledges the need for growth but demands that the team determines a way for the company to maintain the highest degree of ethical standards. One member asks if it is possible to maintain the highest degree of ethical standards and still remain profitable which draws some laughter from the group.

The discussion turns to the various business cycles that are common in a manufacturing organizationspecifically, the revenue and collection cycle, the acquisition and expenditure cycle, and the production cycle.

The CEO has asked your team to find 3 or 4 code of ethics documents from other companies, analyze them, and recommend ideas for your companys code of ethics.

Search the Internet for 3 or 4 code of ethics documents from other companies.

Analyze each document, including how each addresses the three business cycles:

The revenue and collection cycle

The acquisition and expenditure cycle

The production cycle

Identify the internal controls that limit unethical behavior during these cycles.

Write a 1,400- to 1,750 word report on your findings.

Address the following concepts:

The importance of a corporate code of conduct

The need to establish a business culture that is committed to ethical behavior

The tradeoff between ethics and profits

Analysis of each code of ethics document your retrieved from other companies

Recommendations for your companys code of ethics

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Discussion Questions

Should maximizing stock holder wealth always be the top goal of a company? How does this lead to unethical decisions?

Explain how ethics affect company goals. Do you think that ethics always guide managements decisions? Why?

What are two platforms that business leaders can use to demonstrate and articulate their purpose, principles, and values? Discuss them.

Do you think consumers hold companies responsible for their actions? Why is it important to have a corporate code of conduct? How does having a code of conduct influence the companys reputation and culture?

Is it possible to have a profitable ethical program? Search the internet for an example, and provide the details on how a company is developing this, and whether you think it will work in the long run.

What are some of the common unethical behaviors surrounding the revenue and collection cycle and the acquisitions and expenditure cycle?