Chapter Eight: Choosing an Aspirational Code of Conduct

Overview

As an early step to the development of an ethical supply chain, most companies will want to consider adopting one of the several aspirational codes of conduct that have become so widely accepted globally. As appropriate, a company will want to become a signatory of an active compact, or may simply want to adopt the principles as part of their own company ethical policy, incorporating it into the current company code of conduct.

Over the past two decades, as growing globalization trends and pressures have emerged, a variety of NGOs, churches , and international forums have proposed a number of codes of conduct for companies, particularly with regard to labor rights issues in developing countries . The best known of these early codes included the Rutgers Principles, the Global Sullivan Principles, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, all of which set the initial tone and quality standards for the more formalized codes of conduct that were to follow.

These codes did not require any formal certification (although the Global Sullivan Principles now requires companies to complete a yearly, unaudited performance report), but encouraged companies to aspire to work toward common goals of human rights, social justice , and economic opportunity. And although these early codes of conduct came about far too early in the development of the global SEAAR movement to have widespread influence, they nonetheless had some notable successes. One of these was the Global Sullivan Principles, lead by the Rev. Leon Sullivan in South Africa, which helped persuade 11 major corporations, including General Motors, to withdraw from South Africa in protest against the government s policy of apartheid.

Aspirational Codes of Conduct

These include the many forums and international codes for labor rights and environmental sustainability that serve as pledges ” to which companies aspire to adhere . These codes usually reflect similar values ” protection of human rights, outlawing bribes, providing safe and healthy working conditions for employees , or actively protecting the environment. Although seldom enforceable, and often based on elastic clauses such as a living wage or do no harm to the environment, they nonetheless provide a loose but growing coalition of willing companies with broad guidelines for behavior.

 

Today, five of these important aspirational codes of conduct have become dominant, each more or less reflecting the same social and environmental principles ” support for human rights, protection of the environment, promoting equal opportunity employment, respecting employees freedom of association, and providing a safe and healthy workplace ” but each with its own separate emphasis or approach.