Ethics and responsibility Toolkit

Employers' comments

"Just a couple of observations on ethics and social responsibility. The [company] demands the highest ethical behaviour from its employees. Every year an Ethics Recommitment Day is held and the entire company, all 160,000 employees worldwide, take many hours of ethics training at the same time. In dollar terms 160,000 people for at least four hours is a huge investment by the company. The company has an ethics hot-line and each part of the company, including Australia has a full-time Ethics Advisor. I cannot overstate the commitment of [...]to ethical behaviour at every level of the company."

(Employer mentoring Griffith students, 2005)

"...we also look at ethics. In our situation, our people are put in incredible positions of trust where they have to assess the risks from government facilities through to companies with extraordinary sensitive matters, and the challenge that we set is quite complex from an ethical point of view. There is no clear cut answer. I would hate someone asking me the question without notice [at an interview] about demonstrating high ethical standards. Regardless of what environment you are working in, obviously that is a pretty key issue, but it is one unfortunately that doesn't get a lot of treatment."

(Employer of Griffith Tourism, Leisure, Hotel and Sport Management Graduates, 2002)

"I cannot stress enough the value that governments place on ethics and social responsibility in their staff. All work really comes down to relationships, e.g., relationships between clients and suppliers, governments and their electors, bosses and their staff. Relationships are built on trust and without people having a sound ethic and social behavioural code there can be very little trust."

(Employer mentoring Griffith students, 2005)

"Employers are becoming more concerned about social and environmental issues. Employers are becoming engaged in activities that go beyond just making a profit - such as protecting the environment and addressing other social issues such as unemployment, youth suicide, the ageing workforce, etc."

(Employer mentoring Griffith students, 2005)

Graduates' comments

"Productive relationships with clients, customers, colleagues and community mean relationships which occur in physically, emotionally safe and sustainable environments. These environments are created and supported by individuals who appreciate the important of ethical behaviour and who are willing to let ethics guide them in their actions."

(Griffith Graduate)

"Ethics relates to an individual's moral beliefs and professional standards. Ethics is about what we ought to do in a given situation, which includes our personal, professional and social responsibility. Ethical problems occur in all stages of life which means that we need to continuously learn from our experiences and our environment."

(Griffith Graduate)

"What else do you go to uni for but to learn and to gain some responsibility - even if that isn't the plan when you get there? Uni is all about that."

(Griffith Graduate)

Students' comments

"Ethics describes the value of the intentions, actions, and results of human behaviour in our society and it is based on all values that our society provides. Ethics are always relative to their field of definition."

(Griffith student)

"I believe that ethics are standards/morals that a person builds up during his or her life-time. These things tell the conscience whether an act is acceptable or not."

(Griffith student)

"Ethics is a personal code of conduct, as learned through experience and environment."

(Griffith student)

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