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Comments on the Creation of a Vice-President of Ethics at Tembec
(Radio Canada , October 20, 2004 )
Transcript from a Radio Canada interview:
Major financial scandals, like those that struck down commercial empires such as Enron and Tyco, have forced large corporations to rethink their corporate culture, particularly as it relates to ethical conduct. With this in mind, Quebec-based Tembec has created a vice-presidency with responsibility for ethics. This important change in the corporate structure – the creation of the position of vice-president, corporate culture and social responsibility - takes place several months in advance of the upcoming departure of Tembec’s president and general manager, Frank Dottori.
With the departure of the man who founded the company in 1973, the board of directors was looking for a way to preserve the values that helped to build Canada ’s fourth largest forestry products company. With the creation of the new vice-presidency, a position mandated to keep watch over the company’s business culture and ethical conduct, Frank Dottori’s successor will have little choice but to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor.
Recently named Tembec’s vice-president of corporate culture and social responsibility, Charles Gagnon feels that in creating his post, Tembec has truly engaged the company in the practice of ethical and responsible conduct. Says Gagnon, “It’s not just written on a piece of paper; we practice it.”
A Desirable Practice
Thierry Pauchant, holder of the Chair in Ethical Management at HEC Montreal, estimates that only about 5 per cent of large North American companies have made corporate culture and ethics a part of their organizational structure.
He notes that many businesses ascribe to some sort of code of ethics or policy to reassure investors who have become skeptical after the increasing number of financial scandals. For example, professor Pauchant recalls that Enron had one of the best codes of ethics in business before it was struck by scandal.
Thierry Pauchant believes that companies need to start taking a serious look at the issues of corporate culture and ethics now – and suggests that those who don’t take steps today run the risk of being behind the times within ten years.
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