Attracta Lagan

It is a sad reflection on the state of business fitness that the types of ethical issues that continue to emerge are more the result of an absence of any efforts to embed the ethical dimension into institutional systems than an indication of Machiavellianism. Traditionally, the ethical dimension has existed as the depth dimen-sion of organisational life surfacing in times of crisis and challenging organisational leaders with accountability’s that were typically taken for granted.

Many of the most recent corporate failures were found to have company cultures where glossy corporate value statements belied a reality that there were in fact two sets of rules — a formal policy that set out how things should happen and then an informal policy that allowed people to bypass the systems to enhance the bottom line.

This presentation addresses why good people do bad things and explores why some organisations get it spectacularly right, some get it horribly wrong and still others struggle with the challenge of social relevance in a 21st century context.

In a world of litigation and class actions, responsibility has become an increasingly prominent business risk. Legal compliance is the minimum requirement for entry into the business world, society however is now demanding an accountability that goes far beyond this baseline position and the question remains: is minimal compliance the most prudent business decision?

This presentation is designed to build the business case for ethics as critical to reputation management.

Entitlement theory holds that many young or successful people can come to think that they are entitled to just about anything they can lay their hands on as either their right or the legitimate trappings of success.?

Examples of double standards include executives using company assets to fund their lifestyles, board members freeloading, government ministers’ rorting their expense accounts or the death of deference amongst the young people entering the workforce who are demanding immediate promotional
opportunities. Post GFC entitlement is even affecting middle managers who now feel free to cheat their organisations because they feel they are entitled because their organisations have been seen to cheat them by withholding previous bonuses and rewards.?

This keynote or workshop highlights how easy it is for executives, managers and ministers to slip over the line and begin to believe they are entitled to more.?

Perhaps the least discussed and understood trend in modern business practices has been the gradual shift towards an amoral style of management that leaves organisations vulnerable at the very time when reputations have never been more valued. We review the latest research as well as providing insights into strategies to help turn this amoral tide. This whole area can be the subject of a workshop or a keynote presentation.

There’s never been a better time to be in business because we have so many new business leaders pioneering new business models leveraging of inspirational visions of how to make a difference as well as achieve their organisation’s goals.?

They nurture enabling cultures that listen to both customer and employee needs. In these cultures innovation, creativity & discretionary effort are encouraged and rewarded and there is an explicit commitment from the top to balance what’s good for the organisation with what’s good for society.?

This presentation focuses on the new business leaders who have made profits with principles their mantra and in so doing have created top performing organisations in their industry sectors.

The Global Financial Crisis has dramatically highlighted the ethical dimension of business as civil societies around the world were destabilised by the economic recession. The popular definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things while expecting a different outcome. The question most people are asking about the global financial crisis is “what’s to stop it happening again?” What will fundamentally change in our capitalist system to ensure that the degree of madness witnessed over the past 12 years cannot simply repeat itself? This presentation looks at the new models for business success that are being put forward in the wake of the GFC and builds the business case for why ethics must be part of every business’ agenda going forward.?

Business is the only true corporate citizen today and this brings with it new found global accountability’s around establishing the ethical floor below the global marketplace. It’s clear that executives are under increasing pressure to ensure that the companies they lead are “good” — variously meaning ethical, responsible, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and respectful of laws, regulations and international codes of conduct. In short, that they are good corporate citizens. This keynote helps to define what CSR means for each organization and how to nurture a supporting culture as the immediate challenge for the next decade.?