RR Donnelley’s Principles of Ethical Business Conduct

I would like to look at Organizational Ethics through the lens of the company where I work. RR Donnelley has a focus on Ethical Business practices, which are listed in a pamphlet that is available in our HR office, and reinforced throughout the company through refresher training and by working the practices into the culture of the company.

            RR Donnelley’s Principles of Ethical Business Conduct is broken down into sections to address the various ethical topics which the company wants to adhere to. The RR Donnelley ethics policy is:

·         “Each employee in every country must act with integrity and in compliance with all applicable laws” – This is the same as the APA Ethical Principle C

·         “We must deal with our suppliers, customers, employees, competitors, and the public fairly and honestly, while protecting company and third-party business information” – Much like APA Principle B Fidelity and Responsibility, with some wording to protect company information.

·         “Avoid any conduct in your business or personal life that conflicts with your obligations to the company” – This deals with conflicts of interest, and instructs employees again to act with integrity. It goes into confidentiality, and not using insider information for personal gain.

·         “Antitrust laws require fair competition among competitors” – RR Donnelley cannot violate antitrust laws.

·         “We will obey the environmental laws and comply with our operating permits” – RR Donnelley strives to act ethically in dealing with environmental issues and obeys environmental laws.

·         “We are committed to safe, healthful working conditions for all our employees” – RR Donnelley has a commitment to its employees to provide them with a safe workplace.

·         “Each employee should work in an atmosphere free of discrimination of any type or form, and free of sexual harassment” – There are yearly refresher courses to help make everyone aware of the non-discrimination policy which all employees must follow. This is comparable to code 3.02.

·         “We will be fair and accurate in our dealings with government, both as a regulator and as a customer” – This goes along with Principle C Integrity and states that the company will be honest and have integrity when dealing with the government.

·         “We will not make improper payments to influence government officials” – This deals with the ethics of bribes which is addressed in the APA code in Multiple Relationships code 3.05 around gift-giving, and can lead to 3.06 Conflict of Interest or an Exploitative Relationship code 3.08.

·         “Employees will not trade in securities of the company, its customers, suppliers or other business partners based on confidential information” – RR Donnelley’s Confidentiality Agreement, which all employees sign on a yearly basis, is comparable to the ethics code 4.01.

·         “The company’s computer systems, including e-mail, are company properly and must be secured” – This informs the employees that they must follow company guidelines when using company computers.

·         “We will cooperate with reasonable government requests and investigations while preserving our own rights.” – This is another example of the company’s commitment to acting with integrity.

References

Author Unknown (2004). R.R. Donnelley principles of ethical business conduct, Eighth Edition. RR Donnelley Printing.

Fisher, C.B. (2013). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists, Third Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications