Business Ethics
Business ethics, although a difficult concept to define, can encompass:
- general principles of duty
- rules of conduct
- moral principles
Most organisations will be expected to follow certain moral or ethical conventions. Indeed there should be no real difference between the values of business and those we apply to other aspects of our daily lives. These include honesty, fairness, respect of standards, and to offer value in return for the trust placed in us.
Ansvar sees ethical standards as embodied in the concept of professionalism which means:
- adhering to the ABI Codes of Practice
- regularly monitoring its ethical stance
- extending current knowledge base by acquiring new knowledge
- judging each case individually to offer the best solution
- continually striving for higher standards
- following best practice, even though it may be financially disadvantageous
More specifically, Ansvar's ethical policy guidelines on trading and investments are derived from its specialisation within the church and charity sectors and also its roots within the Temperance movement. They are summarised as follows:
Investments
There should be no investments in shares of a company where the predominant proportion of that company's turnover or profit derives from the brewing and distilling of alcoholic beverages, tobacco production, armaments production and gaming or betting activities.
Trading
Commercial Lines:
Ansvar is precluded from selling to organisations whose main business is
involved in the selling of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, armaments and
gaming or betting activities.
Personal Lines:
Ansvar's market focus is individuals who are closely connected to the 'non
profit' sector through:
- active church membership
- committed voluntary work
- regular charitable tax effective giving e.g. CAF CharityCard, Give As You Earn, Covenant etc.