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    Contents Page

    1.0 Background information ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 2

    1.1 Company History in Brief ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 2

    1.2 Vision ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3

    2.0 Objective of the assignment ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 3

    3.0 What is ethical behaviour? ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3

    4.0 Unethical Behavior: Why Does It Occur In Organizations? ................................ ............................ 4

    5.0 Organizational Culture And Ethical Behavior ................................ ................................ ................ 9

    6.0 Ethical behaviour at DSI ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 16

    7.0 Conclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 17

    8.0 References ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 18

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    1.0 Background information

    The subject of this assignment is D Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd. (DSS), which is the leading

    footwear trading organization in Sri Lanka.

    1.1 Company History in Brief

    DSS was established on 12th May 1967. The founder chairman at the time was Mr. D.

    Samson Rajapaksa, JP. The current chairman is Mr. Nandadasa Rajapaksa alongside which

    Mr. R Nugaliyadda and Mr. Thusitha Rajapaksa act as the Managing Director and Joint

    Managing Director of the company respectively. The company is part of the DSI Samsons

    Group.

    The annual turnover of the company exceeds Rs. 10 Billion, and its core business is footwear

    trading. DSS handles the sales and marketing of well known local footwear brands such as

    DSI, Ranpa and Samsons via its island-wide showroom network, spanning to over 180 in

    number, and diversely expanded dealer network.

    DSS engages in the sale of09categories of footwear which has been categorized based on

    the target market. These include rubber slippers, gents sandals and slippers, ladies

    slippers, infants, children, boys school shoes, girls school shoes, sportswear and gents

    shoes.

    The company has also opened a series of International Brand showrooms with the

    objective of catering to the top end customers. These showrooms handle foreign brands

    such as Reebok, Fila, Proline, Pepe Jeans, Benetton, Liberty etc. DSS also sells footwear

    accessories such as socks, belts and polish.

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    1.2 Vision

    To be the leading footwear marketing organizatio n in Sri Lanka & also be associated with

    life style related products, to complement the footwear marketing .

    Picture: Showrooms managed by DSS

    2.0 Objective of the assignment

    The objective of the assignment is to ascertain as to whether there is a relationship between

    ethical behaviour and corporate performance with specific application to DSI.

    3.0 What is ethical behaviour?

    The imperatives of day-to-day organizational performance are so compelling that there is

    little time or inclination to divert attention to the moral content of organizational decision -

    making. Morality is a very qualitative concept in that it lacks substantive relation to

    objective and quantitative performance.

    The word "ethics" is often in the news these days. Ethics is a philosophical term derived

    from the Greek word "ethos" meaning character or custom. This definition translates into

    effective leadership in organizations in developing a code of conduct conveying moral

    integrity and consistent values in service to the public. Certain organizations will commit

    themselves to a philosophy in a formal pronouncement of a Code of Ethics or Standards of

    Conduct.

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    Formally defined, ethical behavior is that which is morally accepted as "good" and "right" as

    opposed to "bad" or "wrong" in a particular setting. Is it ethical, for example, to pay a bribe

    to obtain a business contract in a foreign country? Is it ethical to allow your company to

    withhold information that might discourage a job candidate from joining your organization?

    Is it ethical to ask someone to take a job you know will not be good for their career

    progress? Is it ethical to do personal business on company time?

    The list of examples could go on and on. Despite one's initial inclinations in response to

    these questions, the major point of it all is to remind organizations that the public -at-large is

    demanding that government officials, managers, workers in general, and the organizations

    they represent all act according to high ethical and moral standards. The future will bring a

    renewed concern with maintaining high standards of ethical behavior in organizational

    transactions and in the workplace.

    In addition, we hear about illegal and unethical behavior on Wal l Street, pension scandals in

    which disreputable executives gamble on risky business ventures with employees'

    retirement funds, companies that expose their workers to hazardous working conditions,

    and blatant favoritism in hiring and promotion practices. Although such practices occur

    throughout the world, their presence nonetheless serves to remind us of the challenge

    facing organizations.

    The effective management of ethical issues requires that organizations ensure that their

    managers and employees know how to deal with ethical issues in their everyday work lives.

    Therefore, organizational members must first understand some of the underlying reasons

    for the occurrence of unethical practices.

    4.0 Unethical Behavior: Why Does It Occur In Organizations?

    The potential for individuals and organizations to behave unethically is limitless.

    Unfortunately, this potential is too frequently realized. Consider, for example, how greed

    overtook concerns about human welfare when the Manville Corporation suppressed

    evidence that asbestos inhalation was killing its employees, or when Ford failed to correct a

    known defect that made its Pinto vulnerable to gas tank explosions following low speed

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    rear-end collisions (Bucholz, I989). Companies that dump dangerous medical waste

    materials into our rivers and oceans also appear to favor their own interests over public

    safety and welfare. Although these examples are better known than many others, they do

    not appear to be unusual. In fact, the story they tell may be far more typical than we would

    like, as one expert estimates that about two-thirds of the 500 largest American corporations

    have been involved in one form of illegal behavior or another (Gellerman, 1986).

    Unfortunately, unethical organizational practices are embarrassingly commonplace. It is

    easy to define such practices as dumping polluted chemical wastes into rivers, insider

    trading on Wall Street, overcharging the government for Medicaid services, and institutions

    like Stanford University inappropriately using taxpayer money to buy a yacht or to enlarge

    their President's bed in his home as morally wrong. Yet these and many other unethical

    practices go on almost routinely in many organizations. Why is this so? In other words, what

    accounts for the unethical actions of people in organizations, more specifically, why do

    people commit those unethical actions in which individuals knew or should have known that

    the organization was committing an unethical act? An example recently provided by Baucus

    and Near (1991) helps to illustrate this distinction.

    Recently, a federal court judge found Allegheny Bottling, a Pepsi -Cola bottling franchise,

    guilty of price fixing. The firm had ended years of cola wars by setting prices with its major

    competitor, Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling (New York Times, 1988). Since evidence showed

    most executives in the firm knew of the illegal price-fixing scheme, the court not only fined

    Allegheny $1 million but also sentenced it to three years in prison--a sentence that was

    suspended since a firm cannot be imprisoned. However, the unusual penalty allowed the

    judge to place the firm on probation and significantly restrict its operations.

    In another case, Harris Corporation pleaded no contest to charges that it participated in a

    kickback scheme involving a defense department loan to the Philippines (Wall Street

    Journal, 1989). Although this plea cost the firm $500,000 in fines and civil claims, Harris's

    chief executive said the firm and its employees were not guilty of criminal conduct; he

    maintained that top managers pleaded no contest because the costs associated with

    litigation would have been greater than the fines, and litigation would have diverted

    management attention from firm operations.

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    Although both cases appear to be instances of illegal corporate behavior, there is an

    important distinction between them. In the first case, Allegheny's executives knew or should

    have known the firm's activities were illegal; price fixing is a clear violation of antitrust law.

    Further, the courts ruled that evidence indicated the firm had engaged in the illegal act. In

    contrast, it is not clear that Harris Corporations' managers committed an illegal act. Some

    areas of the law are very ambiguous, and managers may not at times know what it legal or

    illegal; thus, a firm may inadvertently engage in behavior that is later defined as illegal or

    unethical (Baucus and Near, 1991).

    One answer to the question of why individuals knowingly commit unethical actions is based

    on the idea that organizations often reward behaviors that violate ethical standards.

    Consider, for example, how many business executives are expected to deal in brib es and

    payoffs, despite the negative publicity and ambiguity of some laws, and how good corporate

    citizens who blow the whistle on organizational wrongdoing may fear being punished for

    their actions. Jansen and Von Glinow (1985) explain that organizations tend to develop

    counternorms, accepted organizational practices that are contrary to prevailing ethical

    standards.

    Figure 1: Societal Norms vs. Organizational counternorms: an ethical conflict (Jansen and

    Von Glinow, 1985)

    Be open and honest vs. Be secretive and deceitful

    Follow the rules at all costs vs. D o whatever it takes to get the job

    Be cost-effective vs. Use it or lose it

    Take responsibility vs. Pass the buck

    Be a team player vs. Take credit for your own actions

    Societal norms or ethics Organizational counternorms

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    The top of Figure 1 identifies being open and honest as a prevailing ethical norm. Indeed,

    governmental regulations requiring full disclosure and freedom of information reinforce

    society's values toward openness and honesty. Within organizations, however, it is often

    considered not only acceptable, but desirable, to be much more secretive and deceitful. The

    practice of stonewalling, willingly hiding relevant information, is quite common. One reason

    for this is that organizations may actually punish those who are too open and honest. Look

    at the negative treatment experienced by many employees who are willing to blow the

    whistle on unethical behavior in their organizations. Also, consider for example, the

    disclosure that B. F. Goodrich rewarded employees who falsified data on quality aircraft

    brakes in order to win certification (Vandevier, 1978). Similarly, it has been reported that

    executives at Metropolitan Edison encouraged employees to withhold information from the

    press about the Three Mile Island nuclear accident (Gray and Rosen, 1982). Both incidents

    represent cases in which the counternorms of secrecy and deceitfulness were accepted and

    supported by the organization.

    Figure 1 shows that there are many other organizational counternorms that promote

    morally and ethically questionable practices. Because these practices are commonly

    rewarded and accepted suggests that organizations may be operating within a world that

    dictates its own set of accepted rules. This reasoning suggests a second answer to the

    question of why organizations knowingly act unethicall y namely, because managerial values

    exist that undermine integrity. In a recent analysis of executive integrity, Wolfe explains that

    managers have developed some ways of thinking (of which they may be quite unaware) that

    foster unethical behavior (Wolfe, 1988).

    Wolfe also notes that managers tend to rely on an exploitative mentality--a view that

    encourages "using" people in a way that promotes stereotypes and undermines empathy

    and compassion. This is a highly selfish perspective, one that sacrifices concer ns for others

    in favor of benefits to one's own immediate interests. In addition, there is a Madison

    Avenue mentality--a perspective suggesting that anything is right if the public can be

    convinced that it's right. The idea is that executives may be more concerned about their

    actions appearing ethical than by their legitimate morality--a public relations--guided

    morality. It is this kind of thinking that leads some companies to hide their unethical actions

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    (by dumping their toxic wastes under cover of night, for instance) or otherwise justify them

    by attempting to explain them as completely acceptable.

    It is not too difficult to recognize how individuals can knowingly engage in unethical

    practices with such mentalities. Some common rationalizations used to justify unethical

    behavior are easily derived from Gellerman (1986):

    1. Pretending the behavior is not really unethical or illegal.2. Excusing the behavior by saying it's really in the organization's or your best interest.3. Assuming the behavior is okay because no one else would ever be expected to find out

    about it.

    4. Expecting your superiors to support and protect you if anything should go wrong.Within the literature on corporate illegality, the predominant view is that pressure and need

    force organizational members to behave unethically and develop corresponding

    rationalizations; however, according to recent research this explanation only accounts for

    illegal acts in some cases (Baucus and Near, 1991). In their data, poor performance and low

    organizational slack (the excess that remains once a firm has paid its various internal and

    external constituencies to maintain cooperation) were not associated with illegal behavior,

    and wrongdoing frequently occurred in munificent environments.

    According to the model developed from Baucus and Near's research, illegal behavior occurs

    under certain conditions. For example, results from their research showed that (1) large

    firms are more likely to commit illegal acts than small firms; (2) although the probability of

    such wrongdoing increases when resources are scarce, it is greatest when resources are

    plentiful; (3) illegal behavior is prevalent in fairly stable environments but is more probable

    in dynamic environments; (4) membership in certain industries and a history of repea ted

    wrongdoing are also associated with illegal acts; and, (5) the type of illegal activity chosen

    may vary according to the particular combination of environmental and internal conditions

    under which a firm is operating (Baucus and Near, 1991).

    Baucus and Near also suggest that conditions of opportunity and predisposition are

    antecedents of illegal behavior. That is, rather than tightening conditions creating pressure

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    for illegal acts, it may be that loosening ambiguous conditions create opportunities to

    behave illegally.

    Predisposition indicates a tendency or inclination to select certain activities --illegal ones--

    over activities because of socialization or other organizational processes. Baucus and Near

    (1991) recognize that organizations, and industries , can exert a powerful influence on their

    members, even those who initially have fairly strong ethical standards.

    As noted above, organizations operating in certain industries tend to behave unethically.

    Certain industry cultures may predispose organizations to develop cultures that encourage

    their members to select unethical acts. If an organization's major competitors in an industry

    are performing well, in part as a result of unethical activities, it becomes difficult for

    organizational members to choose only unethical actions, and they may regard unethicalactions as a standard of industry practice. Such a scenario results in an organizational

    culture that serves as a strong precipitant to unethical actions. The next section looks at the

    organizational culture-ethical behavior relationship.

    5.0 Organizational Culture And Ethical Behavior

    "Do organizations vary in the 'ethical climates' they establish for their members? The

    answer to the question is yes, and it is increasingly clear that the eth ical tone or climate of

    organizations is set at the top. What top managers do, and the culture they establish and

    reinforce, makes a big difference in the way lower-level employees act and in the way the

    organization as a whole acts when ethical dilemmas are faced. For example, there was no

    doubt in anyone's mind at Johnson & Johnson what to do when the infamous Tylenol

    poisoning took place. Company executives immediately pulled their product from the

    marketplace they knew that "the J & J way" was to do the right thing regardless of its cost.

    What they were implicitly saying was that the ethical framework of the company required

    that they act in good faith in this fashion.

    The ethical climate of an organization is defined as the shared set of understandings about

    what is correct behavior and how ethical issues will be handled . This climate sets the tone

    for decision making at all levels and in all circumstances. Some of the factors that may be

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    emphasized in different ethical climates of organizations are (Hunt, 1991; Schneider and

    Rentsch, 1991):

    1. Personal self-interest2. Company profit3. Operating efficiency4. Individual friendships5. Team interests6. Social responsibility7. Personal morality8. Rules and standard procedures9. Laws and professional codesAs suggested by the prior list, the ethical climate of different organizations can emphasize

    different things. In the Johnson & Johnson example just cited, the ethical climate supported

    doing the right thing due to social responsibility--regardless of the cost. In other

    organizations--perhaps too many--concerns for operating efficiency may outweigh social

    considerations when similarly difficult decisions are faced.

    When the ethical climate is not clear and positive, ethical dilemmas will often result in

    unethical behavior. In such instances, an organization's culture also can predispose itsmembers to behave unethically. For example, recent research has found a relationship

    between organizations with a history of violating the law and continued illegal behavior

    (Baucus and Near, 1991). Thus, some organizations have a culture that reinforces illegal

    activity. In addition, some firms are known to selectively recruit and promote employees

    who have personal values consistent with illegal behavior; firms also may socialize

    employees to engage in illegal acts as a part of their normal job duties (Conklin, 1977; Geis,

    1977). For instance, in his account of cases concerning price fixing for heavy electrical

    equipment, Geis noted that General Electric removed a manager who refused to discuss

    prices with a competitor from his job and offered his successor the position with the

    understanding that management believed he would behave as expected and engage in

    price-fixing activities (Geis, 1977, p. 124; Baucus and Near, 1991).

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    What goes on behind the scenes of a company to make it one of the Worlds Most Ethical?

    Ethisphere, conducted a study to determine the Worlds Most Ethical companies in 2009.

    They asked a number of individuals directly responsible for the ethical direction of their

    company. Following are some excerpts from their responses:

    Accenture

    Douglas G. Scrivner, General Counsel, Secretary & Compliance Officer

    In Accentures ethics and compliance program, the company uses six core values of

    stewardship, best people, client value creation, one global network, respect for the

    individual and integrity.

    Douglas Scrivner, General Counsel at Accenture, says that ethics and compliance cant be

    effective if theyre only seen as bolt-ons, or something that is only done at the end of the

    day after the regular work is complete. We aim to put ethics and compliance into the

    way our people work and lead. We seek to leverage existing processes, procedures,

    structures and functions to ensure the outcomes we are expecting and alignment with the

    goals of the organization, says Scrivner.

    To better understand how the companys ethics and compliance program is being received

    by employees, Accenture uses employee surveys, risk assessments and results of corporate

    investigations. Scrivner notes that in a recent survey, over 90 percent of employees feel that

    Accenture is highly ethical and that the companys commitment to integrity has been

    communicated to the whole company.

    Those are excellent scores for a company of more than 181,000 people, Scrivner says.

    We havent arrived at the end of our journey (and never will), but I am confident that we

    continue to move in the right direction and continually reinforce our commitment and our

    expectations in this area.

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    Caterpillar

    Ed Scott, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer

    Ed Scott, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Caterpillar, says that the ethics at Caterpillar

    start at the top, beginning with CEO Jim Owens. Our leaders work to ensure that Our

    Values in Action [Caterpillars Code of Conduc t] are part of everyday life at Caterpillar, says

    Scott. They take various opportunities to incorporate Our Values in Action into their

    communications. In turn, Caterpillar employees are expected to know and live by Our

    Values in Action.

    Scott says that he is most proud of the way that the companys ethics program reaches out

    to the thousands of Caterpillar employees working in around 50 countries in all regions of

    the globe. Over the past few years, weve made significant strides in globalizing our

    approach, says Scott. One item in particular is our Annual Assessment and Questionnaire.

    It is offered in 14 languages and all of our employees are required to complete this. You can

    imagine that with so many employees, this is a major undertaking.

    Scott believes that any companys ethics and compliance program is only as strong as the

    culture behind it. You can have the best ethics and compliance program in the world, but if

    you dont have an ethical culture supported by strong leadership, the program wil l

    ultimately not succeed, Scott says. Generations of Caterpillar people built our honorable

    reputation and ethical culture through their words and deeds.

    General Mills

    Roderick A. Palmore, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance and

    Risk Management Officer

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    As a well established global business, General Mills knows that ethics programs must be

    adaptable to the different regions in which the company operates. A strong ethics and

    compliance program must feel culturally relevant to employees, says Roderick Palmore,

    General Counsel of General Mills. A program that genuinely reflects the culture and values

    of a company helps employees understand and incorporate the messages of the program

    into their daily decisions. Employees experience them as part of the very fabric of the

    companys culture.

    To help employees learn from prior real-world decisionsboth good and badGeneral

    Mills developed a feature on its company Intranet that uses real examples that came from

    the companys Ethics Line. We continually look for opportunities to incorporate real stories

    from our history to bring to life our heritage of integrity and to respond to that feeling of

    pride we all have in working for General Mills, Palmore says.

    Palmore says that in order to remain relevant, General Mills makes sure that its ethics and

    compliance program is continually evolving in a real-time way to meet the needs of a

    constantly changing demographic-base of employees. We strive to be the best, Palmore

    says. That means we need to stay fresh in our thinking and be in touch with best practices.

    Philips Electronics North America

    Brent Shafer, CEO

    Above and beyond mere word play towards and ethics program, Philips links its

    sustainability and ethics programs with the companys core strategy. And, even more

    important, Philips grades its success by measurable results. By 2012, Philips aims to

    generate 30 percent of total revenue off Green Products, further increase energy efficiency

    of the company by 25 percent and double th e companys investment in Green Innovations

    to 1 billion.

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    Our performance in 2008 shows that we are well on track to achieve these goals with 25

    percent of total sales coming from Green Products, investing 282 million euros in green

    innovations and reducing our carbon footprint by 5 percent, says Brent Shafer, CEO of

    Philips Electronics in North America. We communicate transparently on our sustainability

    performance through our annual report that is independently verified by a third party.

    Shafer notes the importance of transparency when it comes to reporting about the ethical

    environment of the company, especially in developing countries. It is important for anyone

    with an interest in Philips to know that any corporate targets, whether it is a sales g oal or

    growth ambition, will not happen at the expense of non -compliance with the Philips General

    Business Principles, Shafer says. This risk is heightened in emerging markets as corporate

    governance systems are less developed in emerging markets compared to mature markets.

    Unilever

    Iskah C. Singh, Deputy Global Code & Compliance Officer, Associate General Counsel

    Unilever uses a number of approaches to engage its employees in the company ethics and

    compliance program, according to Iskah Singh, Associate General Counsel for Unilever.

    Our employee training and education program raises awareness and reinforces the values

    of the Code of Business Principles, says Singh. Also, employees annually acknowledge

    understanding and compliance with our Cod e of Business Principles. In addition to

    traditional training modules, we have utilized smaller Ethical Moments 3 to 5 minute

    clips to raise awareness and strengthen the open ethics and compliance environment.

    Singh says that a strong ethics and compliance program provides many benefits: solid

    leadership; encourages and facilitates open communication; clearly articulates the

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    standards of business conduct; continually reinforces ethics awareness and actively

    demonstrates that the values are not just words on paper but are lived on a daily basis.

    Singh notes that a key differentiator in Unilevers ethics and compliance program is the fact

    that employees deep within the organization can look to their immediate supervisors as

    examples of ethical leadership. It is here that an ethical culture is cultivated and the

    standards and values of Unilevers Code of Business Principles is given meaning, says Singh.

    T-Mobile USA

    Robert Dotson, President and CEO

    Robert Dotson, president and CEO of T-Mobile USA says that the real test of a companys

    ethics program is the extent to which it is in the fabric of all employees. He says that

    happens through strong tone of the top. That emphasis also echoes through the halls of

    our parent company, Deutsche Telekom, says Dotson. However it also includes active

    participation and support from our employees. Our employees strive to get results the right

    way; they regularly raise issues or questions to management on our anonymous Integrity

    Line; and they take personal responsibility for how they live the values in their quarterly

    performance reviews. Its a top to bottom program that is owned at all levels of the

    company.

    Dotson adds that T-Mobile is a fast paced company in a competitive industry, and that

    brings a certain amount of pressure to develop game-changing products, outpace the

    competition, and drive excellent financial results. But, he says, that shouldnt affect how

    the products are developed or how the company operates. Our employees know that

    getting great results is only part of the equation, Dotson says. We expect everyone to get

    the right results, the right way. Performance and values are like two wings of an airplane

    they are both required for success, and you really would never try flying withou t one of

    them.

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    6.0 Ethical behaviour at DSI

    We now look into the various practices carried out by D Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd in order to

    determine the extent of its ethical behaviour. In order to understand the practices carried

    out by DSS we interviewed its General Manager, Mr Rohan Somawansa. The following are

    some of the key highlights from the interview.

    a) It was stated during the interview that the company imposes a strict disciplinary code ofconduct where every new employee is inducted on its Employee Code of Conduct.

    Further, an Employee handbook is provided to all employees which they can refer to.

    This Code is updated from time to time. A strict disciplinary procedure where a initial

    verbal warning, followed by a written warning and final disciplina ry action is adhered to.

    b) It is said that rewarding the right actions can indirectly act as a deterrent to unethicalbehaviour. The company rewards high performing employees at its Annual Awards

    ceremony. Every employee is given an equal opportunity to sit for an examination.

    However, the final result depends on a range of factors in addition to the exam results

    such as behaviour, attendance, achievement of KPIs.

    c) The finance department initiates strict controls using its established ERP system in orderto prevent any frauds and mismanagement. Some of the measures taken include;

    1. Checking of physical stock with system generated stock2. Monitoring of shops with return cheque record and blocking it in the system in order

    to prevent goods being billed to them

    3. Monitoring of pending sales (credit sales where a cheque is yet to be collected)4. Annual stock take is carried out in all islandwide locations

    d) It was highlighted during the interview that DSS is a ISO 9001:2000 certified company.There is a separate department to monitor internal processes and recommend

    improvements in both business and financial processes. Every department is required to

    maintain an ISO operational procedure manual which entails its procedures and to

    which its employees are required to adhere to. In addition, a broad quality manual is

    maintained by the company ISO representative which provides for the overall quality

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    direction of the company. Spot audits are made by the ISO team in order to identify

    deficiencies in existing processes, processes not documented and specifically highlight

    procedural breaches in order to take remedial action.

    e) The company engages in a range of CSR activities such as the Danumai Wasanawaieducational programme, Sithuvili art competition and sponsorship of National Vo lleyball

    tournament. In addition, it plays a major role in the organizing of the National Wesak

    festival and conducts the Raja Maha Viharaya programme (which seeks to protect

    ancient Buddhist temples). Through many of these activities the company has attempted

    to inculcate a sharing and caring culture at DSS, especially based on Buddhist principles.

    f) Finally, the DSS maintains a strong customer service policy. All products are pre-testedprior to launch into the market at its state-of-the art laboratory facility. In addition, wear

    testing is done to identify unseen manufacturing defects. Despite, these defects may

    occur and the policy provides for rebates and repair of damaged items. Unlike, other

    footwear retailers the company accepts full responsibility for production defects and

    compensates the customer for any inconvenience caused.

    7.0 Conclusion

    Pressure, opportunity, and predisposition can all lead to unethical activities; however,

    organizations must still take a proactive stance to promote an ethical climate. What is

    important is to set the example and create the necessary culture that encourages ethical

    behaviour.

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    8.0 References

    Baucus, M. S. and Near, J. P.: 1991, 'Can Illegal Corporate Behavior Be Predicated? An Event

    History Analysis', Academy of Management Journal 34(1), pp. 9 -36.

    Brenner, S. and Molander, E.: 1977, 'Is the Ethics of Bus iness Changing?', Harvard Business

    Review 55(1), pp. 55-71. Bucholz, R. A.: 1989, Fundamental Concepts and Problems in

    Business Ethics (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).

    Cooke, R. A.: 1991, 'Danger Signs of Unethical Behavior: How to Determine If Your Firm Is at

    Ethical Risk', Journal of Business Ethics 10, pp. 249 -253. Conklin, J.: 1977, Illegal But Not

    Criminal (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).

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