Ethics and the Changing Role of Corporations in Society

Overview:

With the spotlight now on topics such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement, and corporate social responsibility, organizations are being forced to respond and operate differently now than they used to. This course will provide CPAs with an overview of the changing role and expectations of corporate entities in society. This course will discuss how the roles of CPA fits within these emerging trends and why it is important, now more than ever, to champion ethical business practices.  
 
This course provides business professionals with an in-depth understanding of why ethical practices are fundamental to the success and longevity of any organization today - no matter the industry, type or size of the organization. It describes how individual employees, teams, and corporations can navigate complex and challenging situations using an ethical mindset.   
 
Using plenty of real-life examples and several case studies, the course will demonstrate that there is a return on investment from ethical business practices, and that our standards and expectations for business ethics are rising, and rightly so. The course delves into topics such as employee engagement and satisfaction, crisis response, corporate social responsibility, impact measurement, and the connection of profit with purpose.   
 
This course focuses on the role of CPAs in these shifting trends and standards, empowering them to become trendsetters and change-makers within their organizations. 

Course Content:

In this course, you will gain knowledge about the following topics: 

• Definition and brief history of ethics
• Seven (7) returns on investment from ethical practices
• Importance of employees in business ethics
• Six-step framework for ethical decision making
• Global scandals, including Starbucks Coffee, Wells Fargo, Wirecard and Volkswagen
• Mini ethical dilemma case studies
• Crisis response ideas from an ethical viewpoint
• Crisis response cases, including Taj Palace Hotel and companies during COVID-19
• Gravity Payments case study
• Responsibility and impact measurement
• B Corp Certification
• Connecting profit and purpose 

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing this course, you should be able to:  

• Explain what an organization’s biggest asset is in terms of ethical behaviour, and how to protect it
• Apply a decision-making framework to navigate through complex business decisions that require ethical considerations
• Compare and contrast the ethical implications of corporate crisis response cases
• Describe techniques to measure the impact of ethical business practices
• Explain what the “4th Industrial Revolution” is and how it will impact the future of business practices 

Who Will Benefit: 

This course is intended for all CPAs in corporate, not-for-profit, and public sector organizations. It is suitable for CPAs at all levels of their careers and in all types of positions, including those in board, management, staff and audit positions.