25 January 2023The Committee on Standards in Public Life has published its report on the role of leadership in embedding an ethical culture in organisations.
The review is part of a package of work that began with our 2021 review, Upholding Standards in Public Life, which addressed the need for stronger rules and more independent regulation to prevent misconduct. In Leading in Practice, we explore the practical steps leaders can take to ensure that such rules are given meaning by a shared understanding of the ethical values that underpin them. Effective regulation and an ethical culture are both needed for high public standards. Rules and regulations, while important, will only take an organisation so far. It is just as important to develop a culture where people are encouraged to discuss the ethical implications of their work and the expected common standards of conduct articulated by the Principles of Public Life.
Lord Evans of Weardale, Chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life says, ‘From the evidence we have heard, it is clear that there is no single right way to embed an ethical culture in organisations, but a range of possible approaches and measures. Our report features examples of how organisations from across the public, private and charitable sectors seek to integrate ethical values into their policies, practices and ways of working.’
