A high-tech manufacturer had a best practice program in place, but it was worried that employee morale and pressure to perform were creating an environment that undercut the ethics and compliance effort. In particular, management was concerned that downsizing and reorganizations had demoralized employees and that they had “disconnected from the company” and could no longer be counted on to protect company interests or to report wrongdoing.

We worked closely with management to select locations worldwide where we could meet with employees and senior management to gauge the impact of change and uncertainty on employee morale.

We identified specific actions that had been taken by HR and others over the previous year that had created pockets of dangerously low morale. But we also identified vestiges of pride, collegiality, a roll-up-the-sleeves practicality and a desire to participate in shaping the company’s future that was largely unexpected. Our Report outlined specific recommendations to correct the danger zones while at the same time redeploying ethics and compliance assets to engage employees and help build a positive culture that will not only enhance ethics but also serve as a strategic asset as the company looks to its future.