Code of Ethics for Organizations

Introduction

A clear and credible code of ethics provides organizations with a vital framework for making clear the values and norms of the organizational environment, as well as the ethical standards for behaviour the organization models and expects from employees and relevant stakeholders (Canary & Jennings, 2008). A code of ethics offers organizations a number of benefits, including a clear set of guidelines for employee or member conduct and behaviour, as well as the standards that clients and consumers can expect in terms of the services provided (Sekerka, 2009). In an era where consumers are increasingly demanding accountability and transparency from the organizations they engage with, the need for an acceptable and enforceable code of ethics is paramount for all organizations.

This paper provides an investigation into the code of ethics of a former organization, the Geneva Centre for Autism, and reviews its composition, as well as its levels of acceptance within the organization. In addition, an analysis of the realism and enforceability of the code will be conducted as a means of determining how effective it may be in actually standing up as a meaningful code for guiding the behaviour, decisions and actions of members of the organization.

Organizational History

The organization in question is The Geneva Centre for Autism, a small social service agency serving families and individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related neurological conditions. Information on the organization was obtained through telephone interviews, organizational literature, and information from the Canada Revenue Agency. The organization was founded in 1974 as a residential summer camp for children with ASD (Geneva Centre for Autism, 2012b). In 1984, the organization underwent a major change, and transitioned from a part-time summer camp to a full service social agency for children and youth living with autism (Geneva Centre for Autism, 2012b).

Today, the camp has approximately 131 full-time staff, and 107 part-time staff members (Canada Revenue Agency, 2012). There are a number of different professionals and other employees on staff, including social workers and social service professionals, clinical psychologists, behavioural consultants, recreational workers, an information technology department, a librarian, as well as management, an executive committee, and a board of advisors, staffed with academics and professionals in a number of diverse and relevant medical fields. The organization is located in a large city, and serves a culturally diverse population, along with a population with a plurality of different needs, capabilities, and challenges. Most of the clients served by the organization are children and youth under the age of 18; however, the Geneva Centre for Autism also provides services for adults living with ASD and other neurological impairments.

The agency receives funding from both private and public sources, including donations from corporate sponsors, as well as funding from programs at the federal level. Since its inception in 1974, the most significant change has been the transition from a small camp to a full service social agency, which began in 1983 and was completed in 1984 (Geneva Centre for Autism, 2012b). Since that time, the organization has been operating with no major changes, although members of the board of advisors are occasionally shuffled as older members retire, and new professionals are brought in to provide their expertise and clinical knowledge in specific relevant areas.

Organizational Code of Ethics

Most organizations have either a code of ethics or a value system as a means of guiding and directing the behaviour of those who work within the organization, and many organizations have both (Pollock, 2008). Pollock explicates that an organization's code of ethics is influenced by the organizational value system (2008). In the case of the Geneva Centre, the code of ethics is based on the organizational values of trust, accountability, collaboration, and compassion. Furthermore, the Geneva Centre's values and the code of ethics reflect the organization's goals of helping to build the skills and capacities of individuals and families who are living with ASD.

Employees at the Geneva Centre who are social workers are bound by a professional code of ethics as well as the organizational code of ethics. Psychologists working in the organization are also bound by a professional code of ethics in addition to the Geneva Centre's organizational code of ethics. It should also be noted that the Geneva Centre for Autism's code of ethics includes the organization's values, vision, and their charter of consumer rights. The Geneva Centre makes this charter of consumer rights publicly available on its website as a way of clearly communicating the ethical standards the Centre is committed to.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work performed by the organization, as well as the potentially vulnerable population they serve, transparency with both their code of ethics as well as their charter of consumer rights is critical to their reputation and success. Families seeking services may investigate the organization's values to ensure they reflect the ideals they are seeking in service. Likewise, professionals may be interested to see how the code of ethics of a service organization aligns with their own personal and professional ethics systems.

Ethics systems in organizations have received increasing attention in recent years (Kaptein, 2010). A growing awareness of the need for organizations to develop and adhere to effective and meaningful ethics systems has been spurred by a number of changes to the law in the United States, designed to create organizations which function in a more ethical manner overall (Kaptein, 2010). The Geneva Centre revised and expanded their code of ethics in 2003 as a means of providing a more comprehensive guide for the ethical behaviour that is expected of employees, and that is promised to potentially vulnerable clients and their families.

The code of ethics held by the Geneva Centre includes a number of organizational tenets regarding their outlook and philosophy on services and care for the population they serve. In addition, the code contains a number of standards relating to privacy and confidentiality which is similar to those in the professional codes of ethics adhered to by social workers and psychologists functioning in a professional capacity inside the organization.

The essential elements of the Geneva Centre for Autism's code of ethics relate to the treatment of clients by staff both on and off-site. The elements are based on adhering to a number of principles, including accountability, responsibility,