Research Proposal on "System of Inquiry Verizon Is a Large"

Research Proposal 7 pages (1910 words) Sources: 1+ Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

System of Inquiry

Verizon is a large telecommunications provider, with operations in 150 but focused primarily on the U.S. market. Their focus is on both the wireline and wireless segments of the industry. The company has annual revenues of $93 billion and 239,000 employees.

For a company of Verizon's size and scope, it has been relatively free of major ethical problems in the past.

Perhaps the most notable incident in 2007 when the company banned an abortion rights group from sending text messages to its supporters. The company reversed the decision, saying that it was based on an old company policy. In 2008, the company published a new code of conduct, outlining the ethical expectations of its employees and subcontractors.

Verizon is now faced with the problem of developing a system of inquiry that can be used to enforce the ethical guidelines laid out in the code of conduct. This can be a considerable logistical challenge in a company with hundreds of thousands of workers in countries all around the world. The purpose of this paper is to outline a system of inquiry for Verizon. Issues evaluated will include the basic framework, how to implement the code, and what the expected responses to the code will be.

Verizon's Code of Conduct

Verizon's 2008 code of conduct outlines the company's core values. These are integrity, respect, performance excellence and accountability. Integrity outlines that trust is the foundation upon which the company operates. That trust extends to employees, customers, communities and other stakeholders. The value of respect is outlined to include workplace diversity, embracing individuality and listening when others speak. Performance excellence reflects not only holding each employee to a high standard, but placing value on innovative ideas and constantly striving to make things better. Accountability refers to taking responsibility not just individually but within the team and the organization as a whole.

The code also elaborates on expectations and values. These include maintaining an inclusive and health work environment; integrity and fairness in the workplace; protecting the company's assets and reputation; and integrity and fairness in the marketplace.

The code also provides some examples of situation and scenarios where the code may be applicable and outlines how management intends to build the culture of integrity.

The Verizon code of conduct provides an excellent framework for the development of a system of inquiry. The code is thus the basis from which the objectives of the system are derived. In addition, the code provides guidance as to how the system of inquiry should work, and when it should be utilized. From this starting point, the system of inquiry is developed.

System of Inquiry

The system of inquiry begins with an identification of the times when its use will be warranted. In order to identify these times, the objectives of the system must be established. The objective of the system of inquiry will be to enforce the code of conduct. The outcomes of the system will be to ensure Verizon's employees adhere to the code, thus preventing the company from major ethic issues that could threaten the company's reputation in the marketplace and/or erode shareholder value.

Employees will be given an outline of situations where an inquiry should be investigated. Additionally, a hotline should be set up so that employees can receive confidential ethical guidance, or advice regarding the system of inquiry.

The system will not be useful unless it is used, so it is imperative that employees are informed about the system's existence, purpose and structure. Verizon needs to make the system of inquiry easy to use.

In addition to providing information on the system, and making it universally accessible, Verizon also needs to solicit information about possible ethical violations. The company should institute random surveys of their employees for this purpose. The surveys would be anonymous, but simply point to a division or unit within the company. These surveys can provide the basis for information while maintaining the privacy of potential whistleblowers. Harassment of whistleblowers is a significant impediment to a fully-functioning system of inquiry regarding ethical codes.

Once an inquiry is initiated, the next step is to investigate the claims of ethical malfeasance. This is a difficult stage of any inquiry system, because of two issues. One is cost, the other is procedural fairness. The system for Verizon should strike a balance between the two. Investigations should be conducted by teams of at least two, to mitigate the likelihood of personal bias.

At the outset the investigation should be strictly focused on information gathering, first from whatever facts and documents exist, then from interviews with the key players in the situation. The investigators will be drawn from a pool consisting of both internal and external candidates. They will represent a wide cross-section of functional skills, as investigation of some ethical concerns may require in-depth functional knowledge. The roles are expected to be full-time, given the size of the company. Verizon has operations in most countries, which will put the investigators into contact with many different business cultures. However, they are enforcing a specific code of conduct, rather than passing judgment on the validity of the code across all business environments. Therefore, emphasis will be placed specifically on the code rather than the intercultural considerations. The training process may be more extensive in some parts of the world, where cultural norms are at odds with Verizon's code of conduct.

Any evidence of ethical malfeasance should be reconciled against the code of conduct to determine if the investigation should continue. If this is deemed to be the case, the investigation should become more formal. If the stakes are deemed to be relatively low, the original two investigators can remain, but if the stakes are high then more investigators should be added. At this stage, the employees suspected of violating the code would be entitled to representation. Unionized workers would receive representation from their representative or shop steward. Non-unionized workers would receive representation from a pool of employees specifically earmarked for this role. It is crucial for the implementation of the system that its integrity is maintained throughout the entire process.

In order to controls costs in the system, as well as to maintain its integrity, issues that are concern for the criminal justice system would be taken there at this point. This is important for a couple of reasons. The first is that it protects Verizon's integrity and perception of fairness in the marketplace, by ensuring transparency and avoids the specter of cover-up. The second is that such proceedings are fairer to the employee. If criminal proceedings are likely, the employee should be given the opportunity to seek proper legal counsel and official legal proceedings, rather than in-house adjudication without proper representation.

When an issue comes for adjudication, this process should be done in a manner mirroring the legal system, with a panel of adjudicators hearing evidence and testimony from the investigative team, the accused, and the witnesses. This is important for the integrity of the process. Punishment, if necessary, will be meted out according to previously-published guidelines. This again preserves the perception of fairness.

The primary goal of this system is to enforce Verizon's code of conduct. As with any system of adjudication, Verizon's system of inquiry and code of conduct will be subject to scrutiny and criticism.

The scrutiny should be heeded, which is the final component of the system inquiry. Each case will be evaluated by an in-house body that is otherwise not involved in the adjudication process. This body will not be a court of appeals, but will assess the fairness, efficiency and effectiveness of the system. The body will then make recommendations with respect to potential areas of improvement for the system.

Lastly, the communication process will begin anew. The employees, having already received training and information about the system and how it works, will receive periodic updates about the system and some of the key recent cases. This will help to reinforce the code, using the information gathered by the system of inquiry.

Possible Reactions to the System

It is anticipated that employees will, in general, react favorably to the system. That Verizon has not had any major ethical issues in its history, despite its size and scope, is an indication that Verizon employees in general have high ethical standards. For the vast majority of employees, the system is expected to be welcomed. When the system is rolled out, there will be a substantial level of communication and discourse about the system. This will highlight the value of such systems of inquiry - examples will be given of incidents where ethical lapses have brought down large corporations resulting in massive job loss. Also, the amount of education will help to cut down on fear-based opposition to the system.

Those who oppose the system, or take issue with parts of it, will not be viewed as lacking in ethics. It will be communicated that opposition to the system, while ultimately futile, is a natural part of the process… READ MORE

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