Code of Conduct & Business Ethics by Sanjay Gupta

Project Report On “Code of Conduct & Business Ethics” at mjunction Services Ltd, Kolkata

GUIDANCE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that XYZ, Roll Number– 520852135 of XYZ al University, DE has undertaken the Project Title “Code of Conduct & Business Ethics” under my guidance at mjunction services ltd, Tata Centre, 1st Floor, 43, J.L Nehru Road, Kolkata– 700071.

Organizational Seal

XYZ Ehtics Councellor Mjunction Services

Ltd

[Exter nal Guide’s Signature]

XYZ Faculty XYZ University

[Internal Guide Full Signature]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the onset, I would like to thank the organization mjunction services ltd for providing me the opportunity to do the project on “Code of conduct & Business Ethics”

I am grateful to my organization guide Mrs XYZ Ethics Councellor, who gave me an opportunity to get exposure to the working of the organization, for his valuable guidance at each stage of the project.

I express my profound gratitude to my faculty guide, Mr XYZ who helped me with his guidance during the project.

XYZ

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project Tile :Business Ethics and Code of Conduct Purpose and Methods undertaken :The purpose was to give the importance of ethical value and code of conduct in the organization and then continuously obey and maintain the rule of the ethical conduct.

Recommendation :Emphasis on Corporate Governance – Ethics team Code of conduct will be sent to Stakeholders (Clients, suppliers, bidders) Induction sessions, Awareness sessions, publishing articles in house magazines – Ethics & Content team. Inviting renowned leaders to share ethical values COC hoardings in all our offices- Marketing team Ethical values to be included in our brand book, corporate film - Marketing team Holding dramas/skits/debates – Fun team To institutionalize negative impact on appraisal for violation of COC – HR

UNDERSTANDING ETHICS

Ethics :

Ethics involves learning “what is right or wrong”, and then doing the right thing. It is considered to be the “Science of Conduct”

Business Ethics :

The concept has come to mean various things to various people, but generally it’s coming to know what is right or wrong in the workplace and doing the right. This course in business ethics is not primarily about how to stay out of jail, although legal concerns will be given some coverage. Neither is it devoted to simple functional calculations of how to take the moral and other values of your potential customers or employers/employees into account for marketing purposes, although some of these considerations will be touched upon, as well. The import of the course is to cover what it means to say that businesses and professionals ought to engage or not engage in particular activities with reference to value claims other than the ledger's bottom line.

Students will thus come to comprehend the various bases from traditional philosophical and theological sources for discerning professional, ethical practices. Application of these studies will follow, with individual and teamoriented case studies that highlight contemporary ethical conundrums in business and technology settings, nationally and globally.

In other words attention to ethics in the work place is Business Ethics which helps retain a strong moral compass.

Broad Areas of Business Ethics:

• 1. Managerial mischief:--Madsen and Shafritz, in their book "Essentials of Business Ethics

" (Penguin Books, 1990) further explain that "managerial mischief"

includes "illegal, unethical, or questionable practices of individual managers or organizations, as well as the causes of such behaviors and remedies to eradicate them." There has been a great deal written about managerial mischief, leading many to believe that

business ethics

is merely a matter of

preaching the basics of what is right and wrong. More often, though, ethics

business

is a matter of dealing with dilemmas that have no clear indication of

what is right or wrong.

• 2. Moral mazes.:-- The other broad area of

business ethics

is "moral mazes of

management" and includes the numerous ethical problems that managers must deal with on a daily basis, such as potential conflicts of interest, wrongful use of resources, mismanagement of contracts and agreements, etc - potential conflicts of interest, - wrongful use of resources, - mismanagement of contracts and agreements, etc.

Business Ethics is Now a Management Discipline

Business ethics has come to be considered a management discipline, especially since the birth of the social responsibility movement in the 1960s. In that decade, social awareness movements raised expectations of businesses to use their massive financial and social influence to address social problems such as poverty, crime,

environmental protection

, equal rights, public health and improving

education. An increasing number of people asserted that because businesses were making a profit from using our country's resources, these businesses owed it to our country to work to improve society. Many researchers, business schools and managers have recognized this broader constituency, and in their planning and operations have replaced the word "stockholder" with "stakeholder," meaning to include employees, customers, suppliers and the wider community. The emergence of

business ethics

is similar to other management disciplines. For

example, organizations realized that they needed to manage a more positive image to the public and so the recent discipline of public relations was born. Organizations realized they needed to better manage their human resources and so the recent discipline of human resources was born. As commerce became more complicated and dynamic, organizations realized they needed more guidance to ensure their dealings supported business ethics

was born.

the common good

and did not harm others -- and so

Note that 90% of business schools now provide some form of training in ethics

. Today, ethics

in the workplace

can be managed through use of codes of ethics,

codes of conduct, roles of ethicists and ethics committees, procedures to resolve ethical dilemmas, ethics training, etc.

business

policies and procedures

10 Myths About

Business Ethics

Business ethics in the workplace is about prioritizing moral values for the workplace and ensuring behaviors are aligned with those values -- it's values management. Yet, myths abound about business ethics. Some of these myths arise from general confusion about the notion of ethics. Other myths arise from narrow or simplistic views of ethical dilemmas. 1. Myth: Business ethics is more a matter of religion than management. Diane Kirrane, in "Managing Values: A Systematic Approach to Business Ethics,"(Training and Development Journal, November 1990), asserts that "altering people's values or souls isn't the aim of an organizational ethics program -- managing values and conflict among them is ..." 2. Myth: Our employees are ethical so we don't need attention to business ethics

Most of the ethical dilemmas faced by managers

in the workplace

are

highly complex. Wallace explains that one knows when they have a significant ethical conflict when there is presence of a) significant value conflicts among differing interests, b) real alternatives that are

2. Myth: Our employees are ethical so we don't need attention to business ethics

Most of the ethical dilemmas faced by managers

in the workplace

are

justifiable,

and

significant

consequences

"stakeholders" in the situation. Kirrane mentions that when the topic of business ethics comes up, people are quick to speak of the Golden Rule, honesty and courtesy. But when presented with complex ethical dilemmas, most people realize there's a wide "gray area" when trying to apply ethical principles. 3. Myth: Business ethics is a discipline best led by philosophers, academics and theologians. Lack of involvement of leaders and managers in business ethics literature and discussions has led many to believe that business ethics is a fad or movement, having little to do with the day-to-day realities of running an organization. They believe business ethics is primarily a complex philosophical debate or a religion. However, business ethics is a management discipline with a programmatic approach that includes several practical tools. Ethics management programs have practical applications in other areas of management areas, as well. (These applications are listed later on in this document.)

4. Myth: Business ethics is superfluous -- it only asserts the obvious: "do good!" Many people react that codes of ethics, or lists of ethical values to which the organization aspires, are rather superfluous because they represent values to which everyone should naturally aspire. However, the value of a codes of ethics to an organization is its priority and focus regarding certain ethical values in that workplace. For example, it’s obvious that all people should be honest. However, if an organization is struggling around continuing occasions of deceit in the workplace, a priority on honesty is very timely -- and honesty should be listed in that organization’s code of ethics. Note that a code of ethics is an organic instrument that changes with the needs of society and the organization. 5. Myth: Business ethics is a matter of the good guys preaching to the bad guys. Some writers do seem to claim a moral high ground while lamenting the poor condition of business and its leaders. However, those people well versed in managing organizations realize that good people can take bad actions, particularly when stressed or confused. (Stress or confusion are not excuses for unethical actions -- they are reasons.) Managing ethics in the workplace includes all of us working together to help each other remain ethical and to work through confusing and stressful ethical dilemmas.

6. Myth: Business ethics in the new policeperson on the block. Many believe business ethics is a recent phenomenon because of increased attention to the topic in popular and management literature. However, business ethics was written about even 2,000 years ago -- at least since Cicero wrote about the topic in his On Duties. Business ethics has gotten more attention recently because of the social responsibility movement that started in the 1960s. 7. Myth: Ethics can't be managed. Actually, ethics is always "managed" -- but, too often, indirectly. For example, the behavior of the organization's founder or current leader is a strong moral influence, or directive if you will, on behavior or employees in the workplace. Strategic priorities (profit maximization, expanding marketshare, cutting costs, etc.) can be very strong influences on morality. Laws, regulations and rules directly influence behaviors to be more ethical, usually in a manner that improves the general good and/or minimizes harm to the community. Some are still skeptical about business ethics, believing you can't manage values in an organization. Donaldson and Davis (Management Decision, V28, N6) note that management, after all, is a value system. Skeptics might consider the tremendous influence of several "codes of ethics," such as the "10 Commandments" in Christian religions or the U.S. Constitution. Codes can be very powerful in smaller "organizations" as well.

8. Myth: Business ethics and social responsibility are the same thing. The social responsibility movement is one aspect of the overall discipline of business ethics. Madsen and Shafritz refine the definition of business ethics to be: 1) an application of ethics to the corporate community, 2) a way to determine responsibility in business dealings, 3) the identification of important business and social issues, and 4) a critique of business. Items 3 and 4 are often matters of social responsibility. (There has been a great deal of public discussion and writing about items 3 and 4. However, there needs to be more written about items 1 and 2, about how business ethics can be managed.) Writings about social responsibility often do not address practical matters of managing ethics in the workplace, e.g., developing codes, updating polices and procedures, approaches to resolving ethical dilemmas, etc. 9. Myth: Our organization is not in trouble with the law, so we're ethical. One can often be unethical, yet operate within the limits of the law, e.g., withhold information from superiors, fudge on budgets, constantly complain about others, etc. However, breaking the law often starts with unethical behavior that has gone unnoticed. The "boil the frog" phenomena is a useful parable here: If you put a frog in hot water, it immediately jumps out. If you put a frog in cool water and slowly heat up the water, you can eventually boil the frog. The frog doesn't seem to notice the adverse change in its environment.

10. Myth: Managing ethics in the workplace has little practical relevance. Managing ethics in the workplace involves identifying and prioritizing values to guide behaviors in the organization, and establishing associated policies and procedures to ensure those behaviors are conducted. One might call this "values management." Values management is also highly important in other management practices, e.g., managing diversity, Total Quality Management and strategic planning.

10 Benefits of Managing Ethics in the Workplace

Many people are used to reading or hearing of the moral benefits of attention to business ethics. However, there are other types of benefits, as well. The following list describes various types of benefits from managing ethics in the workplace. 1. Attention to business ethics has substantially improved society.

A matter of decades ago, children in our country worked 16-hour days. Workers’ limbs were torn off and disabled workers were condemned to poverty and often to starvation. Trusts controlled some markets to the extent that prices were fixed and small businesses choked out.

Price fixing crippled normal market forces. Employees were terminated based on personalities. Influence was applied through intimidation and harassment. Then society reacted and demanded that businesses place high value on fairness and equal rights. Antitrust laws were instituted. Government agencies were established. Unions were organized. Laws and regulations were established.

2. Ethics programs help maintain a moral course in turbulent times. As noted earlier in this document, Wallace and Pekel explain that attention to business ethics is critical during times of fundamental change -- times much like those faced now by businesses, both nonprofit or for-profit. During times of change, there is often no clear moral compass to guide leaders through complex conflicts about what is right or wrong. Continuing attention to ethics in the workplace sensitizes leaders and staff to how they want to act -consistently. 3. Ethics programs cultivate strong teamwork and productivity.

Ethics programs align employee behaviors with those top priority ethical values preferred by leaders of the organization. Usually, an organization finds surprising disparity between its preferred values and the values actually reflected by behaviors in the workplace. Ongoing attention and dialogue regarding values in the workplace builds openness, integrity and community -- critical ingredients of strong teams in the workplace. Employees feel strong alignment between their values and those of the organization. They react with strong motivation and performance.

4. Ethics programs support employee growth and meaning. Attention to ethics in the workplace helps employees face reality, both good and bad -- in the organization and themselves. Employees feel full confidence they can admit and deal with whatever comes their way. Bennett, in his article "Unethical Behavior, Stress Appear Linked" (Wall Street Journal, April 11, 1991, p. B1), explained that a consulting company tested a range of executives and managers. Their

most

striking

finding:

the

emotionally

healthy

executives, as measured on a battery of tests, the more likely they were to score high on ethics tests.

5. Ethics programs are an insurance policy -- they help ensure that policies are legal. There is an increasing number of lawsuits in regard to personnel matters and to effects of an organization’s services or products on stakeholders. As mentioned earlier in this document, ethical principles are often state-of-the-art legal matters. These principles are often applied to current, major ethical issues to become legislation. Attention to ethics ensures highly ethical policies and procedures in the workplace. It’s far better to incur the cost of mechanisms to ensure ethical practices now than to incur costs of litigation later.

A major intent of well-designed personnel policies is to ensure ethical treatment of employees, e.g., in matters of hiring, evaluating, disciplining, firing, etc. Drake and Drake (California Management Review, V16, pp. 107-123) note that “an employer can be subject to suit for breach of contract for failure to comply with any promise it made, so the gap between stated corporate culture and actual practice has significant legal, as well as ethical implications.”

6. Ethics programs help avoid criminal acts “of omission” and can lower fines. Ethics programs tend to detect ethical issues and violations early on so they can be reported or addressed. In some cases, when an organization is aware of an actual or potential violation and does not report it to the appropriate authorities, this can be considered a criminal act, e.g., in business dealings with certain government agencies, such as the Defense Department. The recent Federal Sentencing Guidelines specify major penalties for various types of major ethics violations. However, the guidelines potentially lowers fines if an organization has clearly made an effort to operate ethically.

7. Ethics programs help manage values associated with quality management, strategic planning and diversity management -- this benefit needs far more attention. Ethics

programs

identify

preferred

values

and

ensuring

organizational behaviors are aligned with those values. This effort includes recording the values, developing policies and procedures to align behaviors with preferred values, and then training all personnel about the policies and procedures. This overall effort is very useful for several other programs in the workplace that require behaviors to be aligned with values, including quality management, strategic

planning

and

diversity

management.

Total

Quality

Management includes high priority on certain operating values, e.g., trust among stakeholders, performance, reliability, measurement, and feedback. Eastman and Polaroid use ethics tools in their quality programs to ensure integrity in their relationships with stakeholders. Ethics management techniques are highly useful for managing strategic values, e.g., expand marketshare, reduce costs, etc. McDonnell Douglas integrates their ethics programs into their strategic planning process. Ethics management programs are also useful in managing diversity. Diversity is much more than the color of people’s skin -- it’s acknowledging different values and perspectives. Diversity programs require recognizing and applying diverse values and perspectives -- these activities are the basis of a sound ethics management program.

8. Ethics programs promote a strong public image.

Attention to ethics is also strong public relations -- admittedly, managing ethics should not be done primarily for reasons of public relations. But, frankly, the fact that an organization regularly gives attention to its ethics can portray a strong positive to the public. People see those organizations as valuing people more than profit, as striving to operate with the utmost of integrity and honor. Aligning behavior with values is critical to effective marketing and public relations programs. Consider how Johnson and Johnson handled the Tylenol crisis versus how Exxon handled the oil spill in Alaska. Bob Dunn, President and CEO of San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, puts it best: “Ethical values, consistently applied, are the cornerstones in building a commercially successful and socially responsible business.”

9. Overall benefits of ethics programs: Donaldson and Davis, in “Business Ethics? Yes, But What Can it Do for the Bottom Line?” (Management Decision, V28, N6, 1990) explain that managing ethical values in the workplace legitimizes managerial actions, strengthens the coherence and balance of the organization’s culture, improves trust in relationships between individuals and groups, supports greater consistency in standards and qualities of products, and cultivates greater sensitivity to the impact of the enterprise’s values and messages.

10. Last - and most – “formal attention to ethics in the workplace is the right thing to do.”

Description of a Highly Ethical Organization

Mark Pastin, in The Hard Problems of Management: Gaining the Ethics Edge (Jossey-Bass, 1986), provides the following four principles for highly ethical organizations:

1. They are at ease interacting with diverse internal and external stakeholder groups. The groundrules of these firms make the good of these stakeholder groups part of the organizations' own good. 2. They are obsessed with fairness. Their groundrules emphasize that the other persons' interests count as much as their own. 3. Responsibility is individual rather than collective, with individuals assuming personal responsibility for actions of the organization. These organizations' groundrules mandate that individuals are responsible to themselves. 4. They see their activities in terms of purpose. This purpose is a way of operating that members of the organization highly value. And purpose ties the organization to its environment.

Doug Wallace asserts the following characteristics of a high integrity organization: 1. There exists a clear vision and picture of integrity throughout the organization. 2. The vision is owned and embodied by top management, over time. 3. The reward system is aligned with the vision of integrity. 4. Policies and practices of the organization are aligned with the vision; no mixed messages. 5. It is understood that every significant management decision has ethical value dimensions. 6. Everyone is expected to work through conflicting-stakeholder value perspectives.

Ethics Management Programs: An Overview

About Ethics Management Programs : Organizations can manage ethics in their workplaces by establishing an ethics management program. Brian Schrag, Executive Secretary of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, clarifies. "Typically, ethics programs convey corporate values, often using codes and policies to guide decisions and behavior, and can include extensive training and evaluating, depending on the organization. They provide guidance in ethical dilemmas." Rarely are two programs alike.

"All organizations have ethics programs, but most do not know that they do," wrote business ethics professor Stephen Brenner in the Journal of Business Ethics (1992, V11, pp. 391-399). "A corporate ethics program is made up of values, policies and activities which impact the propriety of organization behaviors."

Bob Dunn, President and CEO of San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, adds: "Balancing competing values and reconciling them is a basic purpose of an ethics management program. Business people need more practical tools and information to understand their values and how to manage them."

Benefits of Managing Ethics as a Program

There are numerous benefits in formally managing ethics as a program, rather than as a one-shot effort when it appears to be needed.

Ethics programs:  Establish organizational roles to manage ethics  Schedule ongoing assessment of ethics requirements  Establish required operating values and behaviors  Align organizational behaviors with operating values  Develop awareness and sensitivity to ethical issues Integrate ethical guidelines to decision making  Structure mechanisms to resolving ethical dilemmas  Facilitate ongoing evaluation and updates to the program  Help convince employees that attention to ethics is not just a kneejerk reaction done to get out of trouble or improve public image

8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics in the Workplace

The following guidelines ensure the ethics management program is operated in a meaningful fashion: 1.Recognize that managing ethics is a process. Ethics is a matter of values and associated behaviors. Values are discerned through the process of ongoing reflection. Therefore, ethics programs may seem more process-oriented than most management practices. Managers tend to be skeptical of processoriented activities, and instead prefer processes focused on deliverables with measurements. However, experienced managers realize that the deliverables of standard management practices (planning, organizing, motivating, controlling) are only tangible representations of very process-oriented practices. For example, the process of strategic planning is much more important than the plan produced by the process. The same is true for ethics management. Ethics programs do produce deliverables, e.g., codes, policies and procedures, budget items, meeting minutes, authorization forms, newsletters, etc. However, the most important aspect from an ethics management program is the process of reflection and dialogue that produces these deliverables.

2. The bottom line of an ethics program is accomplishing preferred behaviors in the workplace.

As with any management practice, the most important outcome is behaviors preferred by the organization. The best of ethical values and intentions are relatively meaningless unless they generate fair and just behaviors in the workplace. That's why practices that generate lists of ethical values, or codes of ethics, must also generate policies, procedures and training that translate those values to appropriate behaviors.

3. The best way to handle ethical dilemmas is to avoid their occurrence in the first place. That's why practices such as developing codes of ethics and codes of conduct are so important. Their development sensitizes employees to ethical considerations and minimize the chances of unethical behavior occurring in the first place.

4. Make ethics decisions in groups, and make decisions public, as appropriate. This usually produces better quality decisions by including diverse interests and perspectives, and increases the credibility of the decision process and outcome by reducing suspicion of unfair bias.

5. Integrate ethics management with other management practices. When developing the values statement during strategic planning, include ethical values preferred in the workplace. When developing personnel policies, reflect on what ethical values you'd like to be most prominent in the organization's culture and then design policies to produce these behaviors.

6. Use cross-functional teams when developing and implementing the ethics management program. It’s vital that the organization’s employees feel a sense of participation and ownership in the program if they are to adhere to its ethical values. Therefore, include employees in developing and operating the program.

7. Value forgiveness. This may sound rather religious or preachy to some, but it’s probably the most important component of any management practice. An ethics management program may at first actually increase the number of ethical issues to be dealt with because people are more sensitive to their occurrence. Consequently, there may be more occasions to address people’s unethical behavior. The most important ingredient for remaining ethical is trying to be ethical. Therefore, help people recognize and address their mistakes and then support them to continue to try operate ethically.

8. Note that trying to operate ethically and making a few mistakes is better than not trying at all.

Some organizations have become widely known as operating in a highly ethical manner, e.g., Ben and Jerrys, Johnson and Johnson, Aveda, Hewlett Packard, etc. Unfortunately, it seems that when an organization achieves this strong public image, it's placed on a pedestal by some business ethics writers. All organizations are comprised of people and people are not perfect. However, when a mistake is made by any of these organizations, the organization has a long way to fall. In our increasingly critical society, these organizations are accused of being hypocritical and they are soon pilloried by social critics. Consequently, some leaders may fear sticking their necks out publicly to announce an ethics management program. This is extremely unfortunate. It's the trying that counts and brings peace of mind -- not achieving an heroic status in society.

6 Key Roles and Responsibilities in Ethics Management Depending on the size of the organization, certain roles may prove useful in managing ethics in the workplace. These can be full-time roles or part-time functions

assumed

someone

already

the

organization.

Small

organizations certainly will not have the resources to implement each the following roles using different people in the organization. However, the following functions points out responsibilities that should be included somewhere in the organization. 1. The organization's chief executive must fully support the program. If the chief executive isn't fully behind the program, employees will certainly notice -- and this apparent hypocrisy may cause such cynicism that the organization may be worse off than having no formal ethics program at all. Therefore, the chief executive should announce the program, and champion its development and implementation. Most important, the chief executive should consistently aspire to lead in an ethical manner. If a mistake is made, admit it. 2. Consider establishing an ethics committee at the board level. The committee would be charged to oversee development and operation of the ethics management program.

3. Consider establishing an ethics management committee. It would be charged with implementing and administrating an ethics management program, including administrating and training about policies and procedures, and resolving ethical dilemmas. The committee should be comprised of senior officers. 4. Consider assigning/developing an ethics officer. This role is becoming more common, particularly in larger and more progressive organizations. The ethics officer is usually trained about matters of ethics in the workplace, particularly about resolving ethical dilemmas. 5. Consider establishing an ombudsperson. The ombudsperson is responsible to help coordinate development of the policies and procedures to institutionalize moral values in the workplace. This position usually is directly responsible for resolving ethical dilemmas by interpreting policies and procedures. 6. Note that one person must ultimately be responsible for managing the ethics management program.

Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics

About Codes of Ethics According to Wallace, "A credo generally describes the highest values to which the company aspires to operate. It contains the `thou shalt's. A code of ethics specifies the ethical rules of operation. It's the `thou shalt not's." In the latter 1980s, The Conference Board, a leading business membership organization, found that 76% of corporations surveyed had codes of ethics. Some business ethicists disagree that codes have any value. Usually they explain that too much focus is put on the codes themselves, and that codes themselves are not influential in managing ethics in the workplace. Many ethicists note that it's the developing and continuing dialogue around the code's values that is most important. Occasionally, employees react to codes with suspicion, believing the values are "motherhood and apple pie" and codes are for window dressing. But, when managing a complex issue, especially in a crisis, having a code is critical. More important, it's having developed a code. In the mid-70s, Johnson and Johnson updated their credo in a series of challenge meetings. Bob Kniffin, Vice President of External Affairs, explains, "We pored over each phrase and word.

We asked ourselves, `Do we still believe this?' Our meetings resulted in some fine tuning, but basically we didn't change the values. The meetings infused the values in the minds of all of us managers." Many believe this process guided them in their well-known decision to pull Tylenol bottles off the shelves and repackage them at a $100 million expense. Kniffin offers some sound, practical advice. "In a crisis, there's no time for moral conclusions. Get those done beforehand. But also realize there's no substitute for sound crisis management. For example, have a list of people with fundamental knowledge, such as who transports your products where and when."

Developing Codes of Ethics

Note that if your organization is quite large, e.g., includes several large programs or departments, you may want to develop an overall corporate code of ethics and then a separate code to guide each of your programs or departments.

Also note that codes should not be developed out of the Human Resource or Legal departments alone, as is too often done. Codes are insufficient if intended only to ensure that policies are legal. All staff must see the ethics program being driven by top management.

Note that codes of ethics and codes of conduct may be the same in some organizations, depending on the organization's culture and operations and on the ultimate level of specificity in the code(s). Optional: Also see in the Free Management Library at

http://www.managementhelp.org:

Organizational

Culture

- review to get a basic

understanding of "personalities" of organizations 2.

Strategic Planning

- specific to developing a Values

Statement 3.

Valuing Diversity

- to consider that there are other

values and perspectives

Consider the following guidelines when developing codes of ethics:

Review any values need to adhere to relevant laws and

regulations; This ensures your organization is not (or is not near) breaking any of them. (If you are breaking any of them, you may be far better off to report this violation than to try hide the problem. Often, a reported violation generates more leniency than outside detection of an unreported violation, particularly per the new Federal Sentencing Guidelines.) Increase priority on values that will help your organization operate to avoid breaking these laws and to follow necessary regulations.

2. Review which values produce the top three or four traits of a highly ethical and successful product or service in your area, e.g., for accountants: objectivity, confidentiality, accuracy, etc. Identify which values produce behaviors that exhibit these traits.

3. Identify values needed to address current issues in your workplace. Appoint one or two key people to interview key staff to collect descriptions of major issues in the workplace. Collect descriptions of behaviors that produce the issues. Consider which of these issues is ethical in nature, e.g.., issues in regard to respect, fairness and honesty. Identify the behaviors needed to resolve these issues. Identify which values would generate those preferred behaviors. There may be values included here that some people would not deem as moral or ethical values, e.g., team-building and promptness, but for managers, these practical values may add more relevance and utility to a code of ethics. 4. Identify any values needed, based on findings during strategic planning. Review information from your SWOT analysis (identifying the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). What behaviors are needed to build on strengths, shore up weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and guard against threats?

5. Consider any top ethical values that might be prized by stakeholders. For

example,

clients/customers,

consider suppliers,

expectations funders,

members

employees, of

the

local

community, etc. 6. Collect from the above steps, the top five to ten ethical values which are high priorities in your organization (see item #7 below for examples).

7. Examples of ethical values might include (the following list is the "Six Pillars of Character" developed by The Josephson Institute of Ethics, 310-3061868):

a) Trustworthiness: honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, loyalty b) Respect: autonomy, privacy, dignity, courtesy, tolerance, acceptance c) Responsibility: accountability, pursuit of excellence

d) Caring: compassion, consideration, giving, sharing, kindness, loving e)

Justice

and

fairness:

procedural

fairness,

impartiality, consistency, equity, equality, due process f) Civic virtue and citizenship: law abiding, community service, protection of environment

Ethics Tools: Codes of Conduct About Codes of Conduct "Codes of conduct specify actions in the workplace and codes of ethics are general guides to decisions about those actions," explains Craig Nordlund, Associate General Counsel and Secretary at Hewlett Packard. He suggests that codes of conduct contain examples of appropriate behavior to be meaningful. The Conference Board found that codes of conduct are increasingly sophisticated and focused at lower levels in companies. Departments frequently have their own codes. Be careful, though. An organization could be sued for breach of contract if its practices are not in accord with its policies. That’s why legal departments should review codes of conduct and other ethics policies. Also, that’s why it’s critical for organizations to review their policies at least once a year to ensure they are in accordance with laws and regulations. Optional: also see in the Free Management Library at http://www.managementhelp.org:

Employee Law

- review major issues and topics to discern what

behaviors to avoid in the workplace 2.

Policies (Personnel)

- review more specifics about what behaviors to

avoid Developing a Code of Conduct

Corporate Code of Conduct

Note that if your organization is quite large, e.g., includes several large programs or departments, you may want to develop an overall corporate code of conduct, and then a separate code to guide each of your programs or departments. Consider the following guidelines when developing corporate codes of conduct: 1. Identify key behaviors needed to adhere to the ethical values proclaimed in your code of ethics, including ethical values derived from review of key laws and regulations, ethical behaviors needed in your product or service area, behaviors to address current issues in your workplace, and behaviors needed to reach strategic goals. 2. Include wording that indicates all employees are expected to conform to the behaviors specified in the code of conduct. Add wording that indicates where employees can go if they have any questions. 3. Obtain review from key members of the organization. Be sure your legal department reviews the drafted code of conduct.

4. Announce and distribute the new code of conduct(unless you are waiting to announce it along with any associated policies and procedures). Ensure each employee has a copy and post codes in each employee's bay or office.

5. (Note that you cannot include preferred behaviors for every possible ethical dilemma that might arise.)

6. Examples of topics typically addressed by codes of conduct include:preferred style of dress, avoiding illegal drugs, following instructions of superiors, being reliable and prompt, maintaining confidentiality, not accepting personal gifts from stakeholders as a result of company role, avoiding racial or sexual discrimination, avoiding conflict of interest, complying with laws and regulations, not using organization's property for personal use, not discriminating against race or age or sexual orientation, and reporting illegal or questionable

activity.

beyond these

traditional legalistic

expectations in your codes -- adhere to what's ethically sensitive in your organization, as well. (Note that, as with codes of ethics, you may be better off to generate your own code of conduct from scratch rather than reviewing examples from other organizations.)

Company Overview mjunction services limited operating at the cutting edge of Information Technology and the Internet, is a 50:50 venture of SAIL and TATA Steel. Founded in February 2001, it is today not only India's largest eCommerce company (having eTransacted worth over Rs.30,800 crores till date) but also runs the world's largest eMarketplace for steel. The steel and coal supply chain in India has been transformed by mjunction, which has ushered in Efficiency, Transparency and Convenience to the way steel and coal, is bought and sold. Similar transformational change is being sought to be made in the automobile industry and in the sale of fixed priced branded products with the launch of autojunction and straightline respectively.

Business volume of the company in terms of Transaction Value has soared from Rs 94.35 crores in FY'02 to Rs 10,314 crores in FY'08, registering a spectacular CAGR of 116%. mjunction's growth has not only been in terms of transactional value, revenue and profits. In the space of just 6 years, it has established a national footprint with offices at 11 locations all over the country. Starting out with a team of less than six people at inception, today more

than

360

people

from

different

professional

and

academic

backgrounds are working on growing the company at a scorching pace.

Today, mjunction offers a wide range of selling, sourcing and knowledge services across diverse industry verticals that empower businesses with greater process efficiencies. The selling and sourcing services that mjunction offers do not just stop here, they go all the way to provide fulfillment services like inspection, logistics and finance. mjunction has service offerings spanning the entire eCommerce spectrum and operates through

metaljunction.in,

buyjunction.in,

coaljunction.in,

autojunction.in, straightline.in and mjunctionedge. Our Vision We will through the use of Information Technology and the Internet, transform the way our Clients conduct Commerce, adding value to their operations, at every step. The processes and systems that we design and develop will not only be the best-in-class in delivering operational efficiency, but, would also be innovative, fair and transparent to generate and deliver long-term sustainable value to our clients, the industry and community. We will overcome geographical boundaries and any other constraints, which may have restricted regional and inter regional commerce, in our endeavor to be the largest and the most efficient total solution provider in facilitating commerce globally.

We will attract the finest knowledge workers, to join our team, by creating an exciting and engaging environment. Our Mission "We will transform the supply chains, of select industries, to bring about efficiency and transparency to the way goods and services are bought and sold." Our Quality Policy "We are committed to create value for our stakeholders by continually improving our systems and processes through innovation involving all our employees." Our Values Client Focus: We strive to exceed customer expectations for value and service. We will build and maintain customer relationships and ensure long-term satisfaction. Excellence: We constantly strive to achieve the highest possible standards in our day-to-day work and in the quality of the services we provide. Innovation: We are motivated to produce creative solutions that meet our clients' specific needs and situations. New methods, fresh ideas, and a dedication to continuous learning characterize our work. Integrity: We act with integrity and conduct our business fairly, with honesty and transparency.

Respect: We know that successful interactions are only possible through a mutual regard for the intelligence, talents, and expertise that each of us possesses. We are committed to cultural sensitivity in our work and relationships. We treat our clients as partners, and we expect openness, honesty and hard work from ourselves

Teamwork: We honor the dignity and value of individuals working as a team.

mjunction today – Achievements



India’s largest ecommerce platform 



metaljunction - World’s largest steel emarketplace 



5 million tonnes of steel sold coaljunction – India’s leading coal esales platform



Transacted over Rs.30,000 Crores

Over 10 million tonnes of coal sold More than 9,500 active buyers across India

Our Growth

Growth in Number of Clients 2001 - 02

2 Clients

2006 – 07

34 Clients

Growth in Number of Bidders 2006—07

950 Bidders

2006 - 07

9500 Bidder Bidders

Financial Growth

Sigh… We had 16 concerns in FY 06-07

What was wrong? • Tampering of attendance system / proxy swiping / false information using w3 portal • Switching off mobiles after office hrs without valid reason • Harrasment • Utilising office time, infrastructure for chatting or using official ID for sending bogus emails to groups • Indiscipline The management of mjunction never supports unethical acts and no mercy is shown to an individual even if the individual is a top performer. Violation to the COC may lead to serious consequences leading to the extent of suspension or termination of employment.

Happenings… • New Ethics Counsellor & Lady Ethics Coordinator appointed • To strengthen the value of ethics, a team was formed to cater to every division and function. • The COC was redefined to suit our industry with the changing time and meant for ALL junctionites • Published & uploaded in our websites. • Induction session for every new junctionite. • Awareness sessions started for associates • Acknowledgement to the new COC started for junctionites • Counseling

junctionites

w.r.t

Gift

policy,

Concurrent

harrasment etc. • Message through our house magazine -Beyond barriers • To foster legal & ethical environment – Manager (Legal) appointed – Appointment of consultants & counsels. – Compliance reviews by senior leaders

employment,

the road ahead…

• Emphasis on Corporate Governance – Ethics team • COC will be sent to Stakeholders (Clients, suppliers, bidders) • Induction sessions, Awareness sessions, publishing articles in house magazines – Ethics & Content team. • Inviting renowned leaders to share ethical values • COC hoardings in all our offices- Marketing team • Ethical values to be included in our brand book, corporate film - Marketing team • Holding dramas/skits/debates – Fun team • To institutionalize negative impact on appraisal for violation of COC – HR

Integrity is not about easy choices

Its about courage to make the right choices : •

Say no to your biggest customer or give up on failures

•

Do the right thing immediately or postpone it for “Greater

Good” •

Go for quick fix or teach values first

•

Do what everybody is doing or do what you know is right

•

Protect your career or do your duty

•

Do the hard right or settle for easy wrong

The most effective moral leadership is provided by people who work behind the scenes for quiet victories and that is “US” No organisation can be honest with the public if it is not honest or straight within. Be an Ethics Champion

CODE OF CONDUCT

We have adopted 16 Code of Conduct to govern us through the endeavor of our journey to ethical governance. 1. National Interest 2. General Standards of Conduct 3. Use of Company’s Assets 4. Conflict of Interest 5. Financial Reporting & Records 6. Third Party Representation 7. Regulatory Compliance 8. Concurrent Employment 9. Citizenship

10.

Gifts & Donations

11.

Selection of Suppliers

12.

Competition

13.

Stakeholders

14.

Government Agencies * Political non-alignment

15.

Co-operation with other Associate companies

16.

Ethical Conduct

1.National Interest mjunction is committed in all its action to benefit the economic development of the countries in which it operates and shall not engage in all activities to the detriment of the Nation’s interests or those that will have any adverse impact on the social and cultural life patterns of the citizens. mjunction will conduct its business affairs in accordance with the economic development and foreign policies, objectives and priorities of the concerned nation of such goals at the international, national and regional level as appropriate. 2. General Standards of Conduct The company expect all Junctionites, agents and contractorsto exercise good judgment to ensure the safety and welfare of junctionites, agents and contractors

and

maintain

cooperative,

efficient,

positive,

harmonious and productive work environment and business organization. If a junctionite does not meet the company’s expectations of performance and/or conduct, corrective action up to and including terminations may be taken.It is within management’s discretion to determine

what

circumstance.

measures

would

appropriate

under

each

• Any activity that jeopardizes the good working relation between the company, junctionite, suppliers, customers and bidders including • Fighting, horesplay, boisterous conduct • Verbally or physically threatening or intimidating other individuals. • Falsification of company records. • Dishonesty, theft, destruction or damaging of company property • Failure or refusal to perform work assigned or non-compliance with instructions given by the person in authority. • Sleeping over work. • Use of loud, abusive, profane or obscene language or racial epithets while at work directed to any fellow junctionite, customer, bidder, suppiler in person or on the telephone. • Leaving workplace during office hours without the knowledge of the reporting authority. • mjunction is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing work environment free of discrimination and unlawful harassment.

2A. Discrimination

mjunction’s goal is to employ, develop, promote and retain the best people from all cultures and segments of the population based on ABILITY because diversity in workplace promotes an environment where each Junctionite is empowered to contribute to the overall success of mjunction. There is no discrimination against any Junctionite or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, colour, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital or veteran status. mjunction has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. 2B. Unlawful Harassment

The Company’s Anti Harassment policy applies to all Junctionites and protects them from harassment by co-workers, seniors, customers, bidders and suppliers and any other individual that they may encounter at the workplace. Harassment includes but is not limited to • Misconduct which creates a hostile work environment because of a Junctionite’s race, caste, colour, sex, religion, national origin or age

• • 67

• Posting or showing of photographs, calendars, cartoons or any other literature in soft and hard copy form which may be considered derogatory based on appropriate material of an offensive nature. • Communication of jokes which are of distasteful, racial, immoral, sexual or sex biased nature. • Any other conduct that MIGHT be considered offensive by a group of Junctionites or an individual or which creates a hostile work environment. i. Sexual Harassment – Consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other physical acts of sexual or sex biased nature where Submission to such conduct is explicitly or implicitly a condition of employment (explicit shall mean definite, clearly stated, and implicitly shall mean implied).

• a Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decision. • b Such behavior has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance on the job or creating

environment. • • • 68

intimidating,

hostile,

offensive

work

• • • ii. Physical

Harassment

-Includes

hitting,

pushing

other

aggressive physical contact or threats of physical harm that are either implicit or explicit. • iii.

Verbal

Harassment

-Includes

derogatory

vulgar

comments or the distribution of written or graphic material regarding a person’s sex, religion, caste, age, ethnic heritage, physical appearance, or threatening physical harm or the distribution of written or graphic material having such effects.

mjunction will not tolerate any form of retaliation against Junctionites who report such violation of policy or cooperate in the investigation of such reports in accordance with this policy. 2C. Drug and Alcohol Abuse

mjunction maintains an alcohol and drug free work place. Hence misusing controlled substances or selling, manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job is absolutely prohibited. This prohibition does not include legally obtained medications or prescription drugs used as directed by a medical practitioner, but same must be reported to the reporting authority.

2D. Safety and Health mjunction conducts its operations with highest degree of regard for the safety and health of its people, suppliers, customers, bidders and the society at large. It is the responsibility of each Junctionite to maintain a safe workplace by complying with all the safety rules and regulations. We maintain compliance with all local laws to help maintain secure and healthy work surroundings.

2E. Dress code and other personal

standards

As every Junctionite is a representative of mjunction in the eyes of the public, Junctionites will report to work properly groomed, wearing appropriate clothing which enhances self respect and makes an individual presentable. Junctionites are expected to dress neatly and in the manner consistent with the nature of the work performed.

2F. Business Travel and Expense claims All business travels and expense claims made by Junctionites will be consistent with the need of the business and will be pre-approved by ones reporting head. One who approves such travels and expenses will be responsible for the propriety and reasonableness of such expenditure. Junctionites are expected to spend the Company’s money as carefully as they would do their own.

3. Use of Company’s Assets Protecting the assets belonging to mjunction is the key responsibility of every Junctionite, agent, contractor customer and bidder engaged in business with mjunction. Care will be taken that the assets are not misappropriated, loaned to others, sold or donated without proper authorization.

3A. Physical Access Control To ensure privacy of communication, security of the Company’s communication equipment and to safeguard Company assets from theft, misuse and destruction, policies are developed covering physical access control on a continuous basis. Every Junctionite has to comply with the level of access control that has been implemented in the facility where a Junctionite works on a temporary or permanent basis.

3B. Company Funds Every Junctionite is personally responsible for all Company funds over which he/she exercises control. It will be used only for Company’s business purpose and under no circumstance for personal purpose. Company must receive good value for Company fund spend and the concerned individuals must maintain accurate and timely records of each and every such expenditure.

3C. Electronic Communication Resources It is the responsibility of every Junctionite to ensure that the electronic communication devices provided to them by the Company for effective and efficient performance of their job are used for business purpose only (other than brief incidental uses for personal reasons), that the system is operated in a cost effective manner, that the Company’s reputation is protected and the Company is not subjected to any legal risk. Such devices are provided by the Company not as perks but for the purpose of communication; switching off these devices after office hours and on holidays without valid reasons will be treated as violation of this code.

All data stored on mjunction’s computers, including e-mail sent or received on mjunction’s network is Company property and is not private. Junctionites are not allowed to use Company resources to send receive, access or save electronic information that is sexually explicit, promotes hatred, violence, gambling, illegal purchase of drugs or weapons. mjunction monitors computer use by junctionities including Internet and email use. Monitoring is conducted for managing the Company’s computer network, assurance of system security and verification that Junctionites are complying with mjunction’s policy.

3D. Software All software used by Junctionites to conduct Company business should be appropriately licensed. Use of unauthorized copies of any software at office, home or on the road is strictly prohibited as it may cause copyright infringement and may expose the Company to potential civil and criminal liability. All software installation of the Company will be done strictly by the IT Department of the Company who will make periodical checks to verify that only approved and licensed software has been installed.

3E. Intellectual Property It is the responsibility of every Junctionite to protect the proprietary information of the Company as inappropriate disclosure of the same may harm Company’s competitive position, violate laws or constitute breaches of agreements of the Company. Proprietary information includes financial data of mjunction, its customers, bidders or suppliers, source codes, business procedures, roadmaps, customer list, bidder list, supplier list, wage and salary data of the Junctionites, projected earnings of the Company and other information as decided and communicated from time to time. Documents may be “Confidential” or “Proprietary” even though they are not labeled so. Junctionites will remain alert to inadvertent disclosure of Proprietary information.

This obligation includes all confidential information of third parties which the Company has rightfully received under Non Disclosure agreements. Corporate Communications with the press, media and other external agencies regarding the affairs of the Company may only be carried out by the authorized representative as nominated by the Managing Director.

4. Conflict of Interest It is expected that all Junctionites shall work together for the common good of the Company and never make decisions based on self interest. A conflict of interest occurs when our private interests interfere in any way or even appear to interfere with the interests of mjunction as a whole. It generally arises whenever an activity, association or relationship might influence the exercise of judgement in mjunction’s best interest.

The main areas of such actual or potential conflict of interest would include the following ? When a Junctionite takes action or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. ? The receipt of improper personal benefits by a member of his/her family as a result of one’s position in the Company ? Any outside business activity that detracts an individual’s ability to devote appropriate time and attention to his or her responsibilities with the Company. ? The receipt of non-nominal gifts or excessive entertainment from any person/company with which the Company has current or prospective business dealings.

Any significant ownership interest in any supplier, customer, bidder, development partner or competitor of the Company. ? Any consulting or employment relationship with any supplier, customer, bidder, business associate or competitor of the Company. ? Award of benefits such as increase in salary or other remuneration, posting, promotion or recruitment of a relative of a Junctionite of the Company where such an individual is in a position to influence the decision with regard to such benefits.

Not withstanding that such or other instances of conflict of interest exist due to any historical reasons, adequate and full disclosure by the interested Junctionite should be made to the Company’s management. It is also incumbent upon every Junctionite to make a full disclosure of any interest which the Junctionite or the Junctionite’s immediate family, which would include parents, spouse and children, may have in a company or firm which is a supplier, customer, distributor of or has other business dealings with his Company.

Every Junctionite who is required to make a disclosure as mentioned above shall do so, in writing, to his immediate superior who shall forward the information along with his comments to the person designated for this purpose by the MD/CEO who in turn will place it before the MD/CEO and /or the Board of Directors/Executive Committee 76

appointed by the Board. Upon a decision being taken in the matter, the Junctionite concerned will be required to take necessary action as advised to resolve/avoid conflict.

If a Junctionite fails to make a disclosure as required herein and the management of its own accord becomes aware of an instance of conflict of interest that ought to have been disclosed by the Junctionite, the management would take a serious view of the matter and consider suitable disciplinary action against the Junctionite.

5. Financial Reporting and Records mjunction will prepare and maintain its accounts fairly and accurately in accordance with the accounting and financial reporting standards which represent the generally accepted guidelines, principles, standards, laws and regulations of the country in which the Company conducts its business affairs. Internal accounting and audit procedures will fairly and accurately reflect all of the Company’s business transactions and disposition of assets. All required information shall be accessible to Company auditors and other authorized parties and government agencies. There will be no willful omissions of any records, no advance income recognition and no hidden bank account and funds. Any willful material misrepresentation of and / or misinformation on the Financial accounts and reports will be regarded as a violation of the Code of Conduct apart from inviting appropriate civil or criminal action under the relevant laws. 77

? No Junctionite will participate in creating records that have the effect of misleading or concealing improprieties. ? Company financial reports, accounting reports, customer and bidder invoices, sales reports, expense accounts and other such documents must accurately and clearly represent the relevant facts or the true nature of the transaction. ? Most forms of inaccurate reporting are illegal. These include listing of fictitious expense on an expense account, intentional misclassifications, assigning an inappropriate item to cost versus capital expenditure, improperly accelerating or deferring expenses or revenues etc.

6. Third Party Representation Parties which have business dealings with mjunction but are not members of the Group such as consultants, agents, sales representatives, distributors, contractors, suppliers, etc. shall not be authorized to represent mjunction if their business conduct and ethics are known to be inconsistent with the Code.

7. Regulatory Compliance Every Junctionite will in his/her business conduct, comply with all applicable laws and regulations, both in letter and in spirit, in all the territories in which he/she operates. If the ethical and professional standards set out in the applicable laws and regulations are below that of the Code then the standards of the code shall prevail.

8. Concurrent Employment A Junctionite of mjunction shall not, without the prior approval of the Managing Director of the Company, accept employment or a position of responsibility (such as a consultant or a director) with any other company, nor provide “freelance” services to anyone. In case of a wholetime Director or the Managing Director such prior approval must be obtained from the Board of Directors of the Company.

9. Citizenship A Junctionite shall in his private life be free to pursue an active role in civic or political affairs as long as it does not adversely affect the business or interests of the Company. 79

10. Co-operation With Other Associate Companies mjunction will co-operate with associate companies by sharing physical, human and management resources as long as this does not adversely affect its business interests and shareholder value. In the procurement of products and services mjunction will give preference to another associate company as long as it can provide these on competitive terms relative to third parties.

11. Gifts and Donations mjunction and Junctionites will neither receive nor offer or make, directly or indirectly, any illegal payments, remuneration, gifts, donations or comparable benefits intended to obtain business or uncompetitive favours for the conduct of its business. However, mjunction and Junctionites may accept and offer nominal gifts which are customarily given and are of commemorative nature for special events. 12. Selection of Suppliers Suppliers play a significant role in the day to day functioning of mjunction and hence will be selected and treated ethically and lawfully so that they have an incentive to work with the Company. All Company 80

purchases will be based on need, quality, service, price and terms and conditions. The Company policy is to select significant suppliers or enter into significant supplier agreement through competitive process only.

The confidential information of any supplier is entitled to the same protection as that of any other third party. In certain cases where the products or services have been designed or developed to mjunction’s specifications, the agreement between the suppliers and the company will contain restrictions on sale.

13. Competition mjunction will fully strive for the establishment and support of a competitive open market economy in India and abroad and shall cooperate in the efforts to promote the progressive and judicious liberalization of trade and investment by a country. Specifically, mjunction will not engage in activities which generate or support the formation of monopolies, dominant market positions, cartels and similar unfair trade practices. mjunction will market its products and services on its own merits and shall not make unfair and misleading statements about competitors’ products and services. Any collection of competitive information will be made only in the normal course of business and shall be obtained only through legally permitted sources and means.

14. Stakeholders Stakeholders are our Company’s asset and it is the responsibility of every Junctionite to remember that they should act with them in a manner that helps to create value for them and build a relationship based on trust. The goodwill of mjunction that results from it is our asset and all effort will be made to preserve and enhance this reputation. mjunction’s policy is to provide the best possible services to its stakeholders. Credibility will depend on our ability to fulfill the commitments made to them. Hence every time a Junctionite does not meet a commitment some hard earned TRUST is lost.

? We need to give our commitments judiciously. ? Offers/Contracts made with them should be so framed that they are clear on the offers made and the commitments they are considering. ? If

unforeseen

circumstances

make

impossible

meet

commitment, care should be taken for notification of the same in advance. ? All actions which may create confusion and abuse the trust of the customer and bidders are strictly prohibited.

? All references to testimonials and endorsements made with them must be truthful, currently applicable and authorized by mjunction. ? No attempt should be made to induce them to cancel a contract made by them with another company.

? Being a service provider, quality of our service is the backbone of our business. Hence all queries of our stakeholders will be attended with equal responsibility or courtesy.

14A.

Confidential information of our

stakeholders

While entering into business relationship with our stakeholders, mjunction may come across their confidential information. Such confidential information received from others will be handled as per the agreement with them. Hence while accepting or coming across such confidential information

? Appropriate non disclosure agreement will be signed with the party offering the confidential information. ? Only information necessary to accomplish the purpose of receiving it, such as a decision on whether to proceed to negotiate a deal should be accepted. ? Terms and conditions agreed upon in the non disclosure agreement will be strictly adhered to.

? The confidential information accepted through the non disclosure agreement will be retained only long enough to complete the business deal. Subsequently it will be destroyed.

15. Government agencies & Political non- alignment mjunction will not offer or give any Company funds or property as donations to any government agencies or their representatives, directly or through intermediaries, in order to obtain official favour. mjunction is committed to and supports a functioning democratic constitution and system with a transparent and fair electoral system in India. mjunction shall not support directly or indirectly any specific political party or candidate for political office. mjunction shall not offer or give any Company funds or property as donations, directly or indirectly, to any specific political party, candidate or campaign.

16. Ethical conduct Every individual of mjunction, including wholetime Directors and the Managing Director, shall deal on behalf of the Company with professionalism, honesty, integrity as well as high moral and ethical standards. Such conduct will be fair and transparent and be perceived to be as such by third parties. Each will be responsible for the 84

implementation of and compliance with the Code in his/her professional environment. Failure to adhere to the Code of Conduct and ethics may attract the most severe consequences including termination of job or business contract.

Reporting Concerns

Every Junctionite will promptly report to the management any actual or possible violation of the Code or an event he becomes aware of that could affect the business or reputation of his or any other associated company.

Nonexclusivity Nothing expressed in the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can represent all the policies and procedures Junctionites should follow. This code of conduct does not provide a full comprehensive and complete explanation of all the rules that Junctionites are bound to follow. Junctionites have a continuing obligation to familiarize themselves with all the applicable laws and Company policies and procedures.

The Ethics Team : You are requested to report your concerns to: Divisional & Functional Ethics Co-ordinators • Mr. Nilanjan Nandan

–

• Ms.Tania Chakraborti – • Mr. Dilip Singhal –

autojunction, straightline, purchase, FMS metaljunction, Logistics

Finance & accounts, ejunction

• Ms. Sohini Chakrabarti –coaljunction, financial services, Marketing • Mr. Raj Kumar Mitra

–

Content & conferences, EPS

• Mr. Kaushik Sarkar

–

buyjunction,technology, CRMT

• Ms. Satyavani Burra

–

Admin, HR, BE team, CBDT

• Mr. Anamul Haque

–

Jamshedpur

• Mr. Vijay Malpani

–

New Delhi

• Mr. Vikram Prasad

–

Chennai

• Ms. Sanjheli Chatterjee

–Mumbai

• Mr. Arindam Ray –

Stakeholder (bidder, supplier, client)

Examples of few Donts’ 1. Utilizing office time and resources indulging into sending group e mails using mjunction ids or using MJ internet access. 2. Using official time and hardware for chatting or using any other communication and electronic media like mobile phones. 3. Switching off these devices after office hours and on holidays without valid reasons 4. Tampering of Attendance System / Records (false emails/proxy) 5. Sexual harassment. 6. Fraud, Bribery, Disclosure of confidential information to external members. 7. Misbehaviour All these and as mentioned in COC will be deemed as violation of Code of Conduct and may lead to serious consequences leading to suspension or termination of jobs also.

PROCESS TO REPORT A CONCERN A simple, transparent mechanism has been instituted within the organization for reporting ethical issues and concerns under utmost confidentiality, which is as follows: • On becoming aware of any such concern or incident, the incident must be reported immediately by the observer to the Divisional or Functional Ethics Coordinator. Reports may be written or oral and maybe anonymous as per whistle-blower policy. • All complaints are investigated by a committee within a strict timeline. Utmost confidentiality will be maintained and thorough investigation will be conducted. While the process of fact documentation, investigation and enquiry is taking place, the complainant will be protected from all possible retaliation and intimidation. • Wherever possible, endeavors are made by the Ethics Team to resolve the issue through counseling. • In extreme cases, a detailed report is submitted to the Managing Director regarding the background of the case, enquiries conducted, detailed findings, suggestions and reasoned recommendations for redressal. • • • 88

• • • • Subsequently, the Managing Director takes a decision in the matter or appoints a committee from the EMT to take the most appropriate step based on the recommendations. On behalf of the Management & the Ethics team

mjunction’s Mission is to transform the supply chains, of selected industries, to bring about efficiency and transparency to the way goods and services are bought and sold. Our Vision is to generate and deliver long term sustainable value to our Customers, the Industry and Community by designing and developing processes and systems that would not only be the best in class in delivering operational efficiency, but would also be innovative, fair and transparent. To achieve our vision and mission it is imperative that we follow the highest standards of Corporate Governance, upholding our value system which is based on integrity and business ethics. The goodwill and reputation that mjunction has built up over the years has been nurtured by the high individual and collective ethical standards that have set for ourselves.

Policy on Information Security & Usage of IT Infrastructure • This policy is designed to: • Ensure a secure & efficient IT environment • Ensure compliance with the best practices. • Ensure security awareness across mjunction Access to the IT facilities Users of the IT facilities must be aware of the conditions on which access is provided. Access to the IT facilities like intranet & internet is restricted to authorised users, i.e. Employees, Associates & Trainees at mjunction. Unauthorized & unlawful use of IT facility will breach this Policy and will be dealt with as an offence.

Responsibilities of Users Each user is responsible for: • Maintaining strict confidentiality of every official information that may come across him during his stint in the organization. • Selecting and keeping a secure password for Lotus Notes, Intranet or any other facility that may be extended to him during his stint. • Passwords are not be shard and computers are to be logged off after usage.

• Users must not compromise or attempt to compromise the security of any IT facility belonging to mjunction or other organisations or individuals, nor exploit or attempt to exploit any security deficiency using the IT facilities in an ethical and lawful way, in accordance with Indian laws. • Co-operating with other users of the IT facilities to ensure fair and equitable access to the facilities. Misuse of IT Facilities The following will constitute misuse of IT facility at mjunction: • Unauthorized access to accounts – Users are expressly forbidden unauthorised access to accounts, data or files on mjunction IT facilities, or on IT facilities belonging to other organisations. • mjunction Logo – Users are not permitted to use the Company’s name or logo on their personal web pages, e-mail, or other messaging facilities. • Pornography – Users are not permitted to utilize the Company’s IT facilities to access pornographic material or to create, store or distribute pornographic material. It will not be a defence to claim that the recipient was a consenting adult

• No Business Activities - Users are not permitted to run a business or to publish a journal or magazine (unless authorised by the Company is writing) by using mjunction IT facilities. • Playing computer-aided games is not allowed on mjunction IT facilities. • Sending Chain mails, or mass mails with political tones are not allowed and would constitute misuse of IT Infrastructure.

Policy on Intellectual Property Rights A) An executive shall within one month of taking up of his employment, furnish the company with (a) list of all the patents taken out or applied for by him individually or jointly with any other party in India or abroad; (b) titles and nature of any invention in possession of the executive prior taking up the appointment which shall be treated as confidential and regarded as such for the purpose of the patent act and particularly section 38 of the existing Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911.

B) An executive shall not without the previous permission in writing, of the company to be communicated within two months from the date of receipt of an application from the officer, containing suitable particulars regarding any invention asking for such permission apply for any patent, exclusive privileges or the like protection in respect of any invention under any protection invention under any enactment or law of India, or of any other government or legislature for the time being in force and applicable thereto. If such invention has been made or discovered by the officer during any period of the service with the company, and if such invention has any direct bearing on the work with which the officer of the company is engaged, the company shall be entitled require the officer to assign and transfer , any such invention or (at its option), the patent exclusive privilege or the like protection own absolute and exclusive use. Such options as aforesaid shall be exercised at any time between the date of receipt of the application asking for permission as aforesaid referred to this in the sub-clause and the expiry of six months after the officer shall intimate to the company the grant of any such 93

patent, exclusive privilege of the like protection and in the event of such option being exercised, the officer shall assign to the company, the invention or patent exclusive privilege or like protection as the case may be, and sign all such deeds, assurances, applications documents and papers as the company shall require to obtain the full benefit of the rights and options vested in the company under clause. C) If an executive applies for a patent without the permission of the company as aforesaid, the company shall exercise its rights as if permission had been obtained and rules governing the service of the executive shall be deemed to have given sufficient rights entitling the company to exercise such rights and executive admits such rights of the company. D) The company shall at all times, be entitled (whether it shall exercise any option vested in it by sub clause (B) or not) to the unqualified right to adopt and use the said invention, without being obliged to salary any royalty or any other consideration therefore, and further the officers shall not assign, charge or in any way, transfer such patent, exclusive privilege or the like protection obtained in respect of such invention without providing unqualified use of free of charge to the company and shall on demand, execute in the favor of the company such licenses , deed documents and assurances for the purpose of enabling the company established its right to such free usher and/or to exercise such free user as it may require. Provided that if the company has not exercised the option vested in the sub clause (B) or if the officer making the invention is of a rank below that of the Sr. Executive, sub clause (D) shall not apply.

E) Breach of this rule shall be misconduct and the officers shall be liable to punishment in accordance with these rules. 94

Gifts Policy mjunction recognizes that exchange of gifts with people with whom we do business with is not unusual and is considered acceptable. The receipt and giving of gifts is part of normal social exchange. Such exchange is neither irregular nor is it unusual. However, the need is recognized for a stated policy setting caps on the value of such gifts and for defining circumstances under which it would be acceptable or not acceptable to retain gifts. The cardinal principle would be that gifts should not be given or received either to obtain favours / preferential treatment or in return for favors/ preferential treatment. The policy will apply to all employees of mjunction as well as the associates and advisors of the company. 1. Gifts could be either solicited or unsolicited. The Company, regardless of the circumstances, does not permit the soliciting of gifts. This policy defines the circumstances under which unsolicited gifts received can be accepted and retained. 2. The circumstances under which gifts might be received fall into various categories. I.

Gifts received on New Year and other festive occasions.

II.

Gifts received only on occasions of wedding of self or children.

III.

Gift vouchers / gift cheques received in recognition of a

professional contribution made by the recipient, such as for making a presentation, conducting a training programme/workshop for a professional and academic institution etc. 95

IV.Gifts received on the occasion of a terminal event such as a transfer or on Cessation of employment. V. Gifts of any value received for any other reason (not stated in [i] to [iv], approval to be taken from Ethics Counsellor or CEO.

Declaration regarding receipt of gift In all instances, the recipient of a gift of more than the approved value, will make a declaration, stating the description of the gift that has been received, the estimated value of the gift and the circumstances under which the gift was received and particulars of donor. Such declaration should be submitted in the office of Ethics Counsellor within 15 days of the receipt.

Kind of Gift A list of the kinds of gifts that might be received is provided below: • Articles of only an edible nature for festive occasions in item 2 [i]. • Articles of use in an office, such as table clocks, stationery, desk accessories on New Year only with company’s logo in item 2. [i] • Gift worth upto Rs. 1 000/- for wedding only in item 2 [ii] • Gift vouchers / Gift cheques only in the case of professional contribution in item 2 [iii]

Circumstances under which gifts can be accepted:

• Receipt of Cash Gift: Only in the case of retirement or cessation of employment, cash gift of Rs. 1, 000/- and more can be retained by employees. • However, in the case of transfers, collective gift in kind can be received. The value limit is not applicable in such cases. Gifts received in recognition of a professional contribution made by the recipient, such as for making a presentation, conducting a training programme /workshop for a professional and academic institution etc. Where the receipt of gift is in gift vouchers and gift cheque and more than Rs. 1, 000/-, the recipient will be permitted to retain the full amount received, if prior permission is taken from the company. However, information to the Ethics Counsellor should be given. No cash to be received. Where the Company has borne expenses, such as travel or lodging, related to the event and such expenses are reimbursed by the organisers, all such reimbursements will be surrendered to the Company. Receipt of gift from parties having business relationship with the Company including gifts from sub ordinates. Gifts received from a donor where the donor has a business relationship with the Company and could derive benefits from the recipient should only be of a value up to Rs. 1,000/Illustrative categories of parties with business relationships with the Company would be vendors, dealers, contractors, consultant bidders, suppliers and clients etc. However, all such gifts should have donor’s Company’s logo or business identity.

No gifts should be accepted from any person or party who is in default of the company in any manner. By way of illustration, parties in default would be parties from whom monies are overdue or parties with whom the Company is engaged in litigation and parties against whom’ disciplinary 97

action has been taken. It is desirable that the recipient should check the status of the parties from the Company Secretary to make sure that the provisions of the above clause are not contravened.

It is recognised that at times gift exceeding the value caps contained in this policy are to be received as the return of these gifts may cause embarrassment. This situation may occur as a special case. In this situation the recipient should surrender the gift at the earliest. The company will decide the procedure for utilisation of such gifts.

The company considers it good practice to share gifts of edible nature, which an employee is permitted to receive, with fellow employees. This principle also holds good for certain other commodities where such sharing is possible. Where an employee received gifts exceeding the value caps contain in this policy, it would be advisable to return the gift to donor with a covering letter thanking the donor for the same and quoting the relevant provision of this policy. The draft of the letter as and when required may be obtained from the Ethics Counsellor, mjunction. In case of any clarification/interpretation of this policy the employee should contact the Ethics Counsellor, mjunction. Punishment for Misconduct Depending on the gravity of the misconduct; an officer found guilty of misconduct, shall be liable to any of the following punishments: 98

•

Dismissal

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Discharge

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Demotion

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Warning in writing

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Suspension without salary

•

Withholding annual increment

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Withholding Performance Linked Bonus.

Show cause notice shall be issued to for misconduct

Anti-Corruption Policy It is the policy of the company that the employees of the company shall comply strictly with all applicable legal requirements and all applicable laws and regulations of the Government of India. The company shall not pay money or give any other thing of value to any official of any Government for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such official in his official capacity or for the purpose of inducting such official to use his influence with any Government to affect or influence any act or decision of such Government. All employees should follow this policy.

• We pledge-to every Junctionite for Personal respect, fair compensation and honest and equitable treatment to our Customers and Bidders, Excellence in service and exceptional value with an unyielding commitment to deliver the very best to our Suppliers, courteous and ethical behavior and practices, respect for their interests and an open door to build TRUST and GOODWILL that is the foundation of business relationships. 99

• and to our Community a aonscious citizenship and a helping hand for worthwhile causes. • To this end, we have adopted the mjunction Code of Conduct to guide our transactions with our colleagues, community, customers, bidders, government, regulators and the society at large. • While every care was taken to to make the Code of Conduct as comprehensive and all-encompassing as possible, you will appreciate that no code can address every situation. Given the complexity and constantly changing nature of our work and our world, no book of hard and fast rules, however detailed, can cover adequately all the dilemmas we face. Hence every Junctionite is asked to exercise discretion, fair judgment and leadership in making ethical business decisions. It is the responsibility of every Junctionite to familiarize with mjunction’s Code of Conduct and use it as a guidepost for his or her daily decision and action. • Every Junctionite is accountable for his/her behavior, action and results.

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Client Satisfaction Survey by Business Excellence(BE) Team in 2008 Business Relation with mjunction

Just like any other supplier 20%

More like a partner 80%

Listing Mechanisms Rank 1

5 2

Rank 2

Rank 3

Rank 4

Rank 5

17 29

14 10

12 21

2 Remote sites

26 24

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12 12

People deputed

Rank 7

5 5 24

Rank 6

T echnical team

17 17

5 5 2

Online catelog

Web template

10 29 17

Cust. Edu web

Accessability

Employee Satisfaction Survey by Business Excellence(BE) Team in 2008 Objective

• To determine current level of employee and associate well-being, satisfaction and motivation; • To identify priority opportunities for improvement; and • To suggest action plans to improve level of employee and associate well being, satisfaction and motivation.

Methodology 1. Off-line survey was conducted. Printed questionnaires were handed over to all junctionites as per following categories: (a) Head Office and (b) Outstation Offices (1) AGM & Above; (2) Mgr & Dy Mgr; Asst Mgr; (3) Officer (4) Associates. 2.

There were closed ended questions with a scale of 5: (1) Strongly Agree (2) Agree Somewhat

(3) Neutral (4) Disagree

Somewhat (5) Strongly Disagree. 3.

There were open ended questions on Suggestions.

After providing reminders on deadline, feedback forms were collated

in Collection Boxes kept in H.O. and by courier from outstation offices to ensure anonymity of response. 102

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Response Rates

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Satisfaction survey Score

JSS Score – as per Location & Level

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Good about Mjunction

• Professional culture. Teamwork. • Bosses open to listening. • Transparency in work. Ethical. • TATA Group Company. SAIL. • Growth. Vision. • Good Office Infrastructure – Computers and Telephones. • Fun, Sports, TIE teams. • Sharing of company performance. • Encourages new ideas. • Timely salary & reimbursements

Even if there is any iota of doubt towards understanding the mjunction value or to escalate any issue, please feel free to contact at ethics@mjunction.in 033-66106124, 66106160 Lets keep mjunction a ethical organisation. It is our duty to protect ethics@mjunction.in The journey continues forever…

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Finding In the due course of the project, the major findings were as follows:-1.

Most of the employee specially female(Dress code) did not maintain the

rule. 2.

The recent upgradation of any conduct did not circulate to all employee

through mails or company’s website updation. 3.

The

outstation

employee

did

not

respect

conduct(Specially rules related to attendance policy)

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the

company code

Recommendation:--

After carrying out the project of code of conduct and Business Ethics, I would recommend the following

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

Every employee should obey the ethical value



Screen Potential Employee



Integrating Model for Managing Ethical Behaviour



Develop a meaningful code of ethics



Provide ethics training

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. http://www.mjunction..in 2. 2 http://google.com

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Rocomendation

Code of business ethichs can be considered as a very important tool for building "Family" in the organization. It is absolutely necessary in Georgia, I think, for the followign reasons.

People form very strong and long-lasting groups based on friends and relatives in Georgia. These are informal groups which do not consider the positions of separate individuals in the society. The relations between the memebers of these informal groups are very often much stronger than the relations within the organization. This is why, I think, Georgians face unstable unions (politics, etc) and relatively low loyalty to the organization. This is true in every sector of economy and the politics as well.

Building code of ethics represent basis for building "corporate soul" and it is also the first step to strengthen the relations within the formal groups - organizations. The long-term implications may be "corporate soul" in the organizations and the higher level of social responsibility in the Georgian society.

The question is do we have to loosen the traditionally strong informal groups to reinforce the formal groups in the organization? I do not think it will have positive effects. Then HOW do we build the code of ethics and Corporate Soul?

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