The components of an ethics audit are not a universally accepted standard. However, there are aspects of your organization that will be examined closely. The following are the core components of the ethics audit:
Your organizational mission, values and philosophy and an assessment of the extent to which these are a part of the everyday decision-making process at all levels and in all functions.
Your policies governing any ethically related issues from on-the-job dating to whistleblowing (and any other issues discussed in the foregoing chapters) and the extent to which these are applied fairly and equitably.
The absence of policies on the above issues.
Your record of behavior, both public and private, as assessed by both internal and external sources.
How ethical the leadership in your organization is viewed by both internal and external publics.
Ethics training and development within the organization: presence, absence, value.
Input from discussions with management and non-management employees in assessing both ethical behaviour and perceptions of ethical behaviour.