Introduction

In today’s corporate world, professionals frequently face challenging ethical and compliance dilemmas that require careful analysis, quick thinking, and responsible decision-making. This training course takes a practical, scenario-based approach to help participants explore and address real-world ethical and compliance challenges. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and role-playing exercises, participants will learn how to evaluate dilemmas, apply ethical frameworks, and develop strategies for managing compliance risks in a wide range of situations.

Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will:

1. Understand the core principles of ethics and compliance and how they apply to real-world situations.
2. Develop the ability to identify and assess ethical and compliance dilemmas in the workplace.
3. Learn how to apply ethical decision-making frameworks to resolve dilemmas and make sound decisions.
4. Gain practical experience through role-playing, case studies, and group discussions on complex dilemmas.
5. Understand the role of leadership in fostering an ethical culture and ensuring compliance.
6. Explore strategies for managing and mitigating risk in the face of ethical conflicts.
7. Develop skills in handling stakeholder communication and reporting in ethical situations.
8. Learn best practices for maintaining integrity and transparency in high-pressure situations.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for professionals involved in compliance, legal, risk management, and ethics functions, including:

• Compliance Officers
• Legal and Regulatory Affairs Professionals
• Internal Auditors
• Risk Managers
• Ethics and Integrity Officers
• Human Resources Professionals
• Senior Management and Executives
• Consultants and Advisors
• Any professionals who are involved in decision-making and facing ethical challenges in their roles

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Ethics, Compliance, and Decision-Making Frameworks

• Session 1: Overview of Ethics and Compliance

  • Defining ethics and compliance: Core principles and the importance in organizational success
  • The role of ethics in decision-making: Balancing corporate goals with ethical responsibilities
  • Key regulatory frameworks and ethical standards (e.g., FCPA, SOX, OECD Guidelines)
  • The role of compliance in managing legal and reputational risk

• Session 2: Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks

  • Overview of ethical decision-making models: Utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and others
  • How to apply these frameworks to complex compliance dilemmas
  • Case Study: Analyzing a real-world compliance dilemma using these frameworks
  • Lab Exercise: Walkthrough of a scenario where participants will apply an ethical decision-making framework to a dilemma

• Session 3: Understanding Common Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace

  • Common types of ethical dilemmas: Conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption, financial reporting, privacy issues
  • The impact of poor ethical decisions: Legal consequences, reputational damage, and stakeholder trust
  • Group Discussion: Sharing real-life experiences and discussing common ethical challenges in the workplace

Day 2: Interactive Scenario-Based Learning and Group Dilemmas

• Session 1: Role of Ethics in Organizational Culture

  • Creating and maintaining an ethical workplace culture: Leadership commitment, training, and communication
  • Establishing clear codes of conduct and ethical guidelines
  • Ethical leadership and its influence on decision-making and behavior
  • Group Exercise: Discussing a scenario where leadership failed to address an ethical issue, and how it impacted the organization

• Session 2: Group Dilemmas – Interactive Scenario Sessions

  • Participants will be divided into small groups and given a complex compliance dilemma to solve, considering ethical implications, regulatory requirements, and company policy
  • Dilemmas can involve sensitive issues such as data privacy breaches, conflicts of interest, or employee misconduct
  • Groups will debate and present their solutions, followed by feedback and a discussion on alternative strategies

• Session 3: Navigating Whistleblower Situations

  • Understanding the role of whistleblowers in identifying ethical breaches
  • Building a safe and transparent reporting culture: Legal protections and organizational policies
  • Case Study: Analyzing a whistleblower’s impact on an organization
  • Group Discussion: Best practices for addressing whistleblower concerns while maintaining fairness and confidentiality

Day 3: Handling High-Risk Compliance and Ethics Dilemmas

• Session 1: Risk Management in Ethics and Compliance

  • Identifying high-risk areas for ethical violations: Financial practices, procurement, human resources, marketing
  • Mitigating risks through preventive measures: Training, audits, and monitoring systems
  • Group Exercise: Risk assessment activity based on a specific organizational scenario (e.g., handling bribery or fraud risks in procurement)

• Session 2: Dealing with Conflicts of Interest

  • Identifying potential conflicts of interest: Personal, financial, and professional conflicts
  • Managing conflicts: Disclosure, recusal, and transparency
  • Case Study: Conflict of interest involving a senior manager and its impact on decision-making
  • Role-Playing: Participants will act out different conflict of interest scenarios and discuss how to address them

• Session 3: Ethical Leadership in Crisis Situations

  • Leading ethically in high-pressure situations (e.g., financial crises, public relations disasters, regulatory investigations)
  • Ensuring that ethics and compliance take precedence in tough decisions
  • Case Study: Analyzing an organization’s response to a crisis from an ethical perspective
  • Group Discussion: What could have been done differently to prevent the crisis and uphold ethical standards?

Day 4: Communication, Reporting, and Stakeholder Engagement in Ethical Dilemmas

• Session 1: Communicating Ethical Decisions

  • Effective communication strategies when handling ethical dilemmas: Transparency, honesty, and clarity
  • Engaging stakeholders: How to address concerns from employees, customers, shareholders, and regulators
  • Role-Playing: Participants will practice communicating an ethical decision to stakeholders in a variety of settings (e.g., boardroom, public statement, internal memo)

• Session 2: Managing Legal and Reputational Risk

  • Understanding the legal consequences of ethical violations: Investigations, fines, and litigation
  • Balancing legal requirements with ethical considerations in decision-making
  • Case Study: A company facing public scrutiny for an ethical breach and its legal and reputational aftermath
  • Group Discussion: What steps can organizations take to recover from a compliance scandal?

• Session 3: Best Practices for Ethics and Compliance Reporting

  • Establishing an ethics reporting system: Channels, escalation procedures, and confidentiality
  • Encouraging ethical behavior through feedback loops and performance reviews
  • Lab Exercise: Design an ethics reporting process for a hypothetical organization

Day 5: Advanced Ethics and Compliance Dilemmas – Real-World Application

• Session 1: Interactive Advanced Dilemma Session

  • Participants will tackle a high-stakes, complex ethics and compliance scenario involving multiple stakeholders, legal regulations, and ethical considerations
  • In groups, they will evaluate the dilemma, propose solutions, and defend their decisions in a structured debate
  • Feedback from instructors and peers on the solutions presented

• Session 2: Developing a Personal Action Plan for Ethical Decision-Making

  • Creating an individual action plan for addressing ethical dilemmas in the workplace
  • Identifying personal strengths and areas for improvement in ethical decision-making
  • Discussing ongoing professional development in ethics and compliance

• Session 3: Course Review and Final Discussion

  • Review of key takeaways from the course
  • Final Q&A session on real-world challenges and applying the course learnings in participants’ own organizations
  • Course evaluation and feedback
  • Distribution of course completion certificates

Conclusion and Certification

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate in Ethics and Compliance Decision-Making, demonstrating their ability to navigate complex ethical dilemmas, manage compliance risks, and make sound ethical decisions that benefit their organization and stakeholders.