Cultural Practices of the Best Companies

In response to a new countrywide tax on grocery bags being implemented by the Irish government to discourage their use, employees and management at SuperQuinn collaborated with customers to create a re-useable Green Bag that is easier to pack, more convenient for customers and is a profitable product for the company to sell.

This collaborative effort was lead by front-line employees whose suggestions for the size and sturdiness of the bag were critical to its final design. Employees were involved in every aspect of the project and were shown tremendous respect by managers who recognized that their knowledge of the bagging process was critical to the success of the project, that their design suggestions would be invaluable as they would be a key user of the product, and that their comfort with the decision making process would smooth the way to implementation as they would be the people explaining to customers why the Green Bag is such a great product for them to buy and use.

Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital's emphasis on ethics flows out of its underlying values, which are discussed with new employees and posted prominently. The Business Conduct Committee is responsible for a 24-hour ethics line and ensures every employee signs the Code of Ethical Business Conduct during orientation. The hospital wants employees to know that its reputation is in their hands - and that if an employee isn't willing to take on that responsibility, that person should work somewhere else.

The code outlines that any ethical problem - defined as anything that makes a person uncomfortable about how the company is doing its business - should be discussed with the person's manager, or the VP, or through the 24-hour line that is maintained by an outside vendor. Issues that have come up include solicitation for personal business while on Hospital time, appropriate use of funds by a manager, and fairness in promotions.

By publishing the Code of Ethical Business Conduct, Memorial Hospital draws attention to the importance it places on ethics. Employees recognize their role in maintaining high ethical standards, increasing the overall integrity within the workplace, reducing second-guessing, and stopping rumors that could interfere with this healthcare organization's purpose.