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Flour Corp's Business Ethics Practices: Creating Six Sigma Standards in Staying Corruption-Free

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Global Fight Against Corruption: Setting Ethical Standards Cont...

The media attention, arising out of spectacular corporate debacles in the last 10 years, turned to corporate conduct. Heightened media scrutiny along with aggressive shareholder activism, had increased the pressure to keep morals and gave birth to the so called 'ethics boom' in the corporate culture. The 'need-based' and 'greed-based' nature of corruption had been differentiated. Most of the big conglomerates engage in corruption due to their greed while smaller players do it to stay in the business. While corruption leads to short-term gains, in a long run, its effects can be self-destructive both to reputation of the company and the volume of business. Moreover, the attitude of the public has been changing and corruption is being viewed rather seriously. Even the prospective employees are demanding ethical and socially responsible workplaces and not just pay places. It is a clarion call for the companies seeking top-class talent. It is no longer 'talent at any cost'. It is 'talent for taintfree cost.' Realising the benefits of staying corruption-free, more companies are joining hands with global anti-corruption organisations.

Organisations like APEC, TI and PACI adopted similar set of principles. All of them call for action. But, moving against corruption is no easy task. The effective execution of the anticorruption initiatives, many argue, is vital and crucial determinant of the firms' future. The mistakes that any company might commit while developing Global Ethics Programmes should not be overlooked . Having a code of ethics and not always following it is not considered as staying away from corruption. Ethisphere Magazine’s Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) was initiated to distinguish the unethical companies from ethical ones by bringing high visibility to stakeholders and shareholders. Many business companies are a part of the alliance, including Fluor Corp.. With the mission 'to reinforce standards of ethics and fortify confidence in business worldwide', BELA made a 'Declaration of Ethical Principles', which are the trademarks of ethical companies.

"I don't care who you are, you're going to have that one bad person from time to time," but, "A company that discovers corruption and deals with it is an ethical company,"28 Says Boeckmann. Though the awareness about corruption is increasing, absolute eradication of corruption is still a question for which answers are not yet known. A few companies participate in the corrective measures and a very few know what to do. Fluor Corp. has a clear idea about its combat against corruption. "As long as government workers in developing countries earn very little pay, you are never going to 'stamp it out,' but what we’re doing is ‘putting a spotlight on it'," 29 said Boeckmann.

For all those companies that wish to build their businesses for generations, Nelson Mandela’s advice is, "Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation".

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28]"The big interview: Alan Boeckmann, Chief Executive, Fluor - Choose honesty, and get more business", op.cit.
29]Yung Katherine, "Fluor chief on war with bribery", op.cit.

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