Canada has taken numerous steps to developing stronger ethics in their business environment by adapting to the developments introduced in the United States. Business ethics as a movement refers to the development of structures internal to the corporation that help it and its employees act ethically, as opposed to structures that provide incentives to act unethically ( ). Clear line of responsibility, institutional ethics code and behavioral training programs are all examples of the structures Canada has worked to introduce their workplace in a more proficient manner. Much of this ethical reform can be credited to the public pressure and media back lash that was taking place in the Canadian marketplace due to lack of leadership and concrete policies.
It is important to note that the United States stands strong in their ethical procedures in business and corporate policy because of the foundation that was established through reform acts and agreements from past centuries. The most recent legislative incentive to incorporate ethics in the corporation came in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, passed as a result of a rash of scandals involving Enron, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen and other prominent corporations ( ). The act required CEO’s and CFO’s certify their fairness and accurate assumptions made on all financial reports, as well as established code of ethics for corporations with senior financial officers. It also forced companies to involve the public more into viewing and analyzing these financial statements.
The U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1970 have propelled the way for businesses to securely function with ethics policy in place that efficiently protect the employer and the employee. The CRA Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination of the basis of race, color, religion or national origin in public establishments connected to interstate commerce, as well as places of public accommodation and entertainment ( ). Before...