Avnet Inc. has been recognized as one of the most ethical companies in the world as rated by the Ethisphere institute, "an independent center of research promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance." I worked for Avnet from 2010 through June 2018, my company having been acquired by Avnet in the spring of 2018. Avnet's core values are stated clearly on their website.

Since 1921, our strong values have guided how we operate and interact with our customers, suppliers and with each other. We believe that earning your trust is a privilege and doing the right thing is always the best course of action. Our Core Values, Code of Conduct and company policies reflect our commitment to doing business with integrity.

The values that drive our business and our people forward every day are:

Integrity: We mean what we say, we respect others and we do business the right way.

Empathy: We listen and see the world through the eyes of the customer.

Ingenuity: We find smart ways to make things work better and leverage technology in unique ways to solve our customers' toughest challenges.

Collaboration: With each other, our customers and our suppliers, we put our heads together to get the job done.

Objectivity: We work with open minds and no bias - other than making our customers successful.

Know-how: Our technical and market expertise runs deep.

In my estimation Avnet's leaders strive to create  ethical climate by practicing some of Edgar Schein's six primary mechanisms. There was a continual focus on promoting ethical behavior and there were instances where I saw punishment meted out on those that strayed outside the expected norm. Schein referred to this prioritization as "Attention" Resource allocation to promotion of ethical behavior in the form of web-based training was evident. There were many opportunities for personal development for employees that desired it and I saw concrete action taken to foster the well-being of their employees. Rewards were given periodically, the largest awarded in conjunction with the annual company trip to Hawaii.

Avnet also took their Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously committing to a supply chain that was free from human rights conflicts, compliance with environmental sustainability practices and promotion of diversity in the workplace. There was also a great focus on supporting charities, corporately and in each of our branch locations.

On a personal note, while I was laid off in a reduction in force initiative along with a few dozen others globally, Avnet granted me the early retirement package that I had turned down 8 months earlier. It was as generous as I could have expected and because I believe that "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way" Ps 37:23,  I quickly felt that perhaps this was God showing me where the next step in my journey would be and harbored no ill will or bitterness toward the company or toward my supervisor who was being demoted into my position. 

While the Executive level managers appeared to be towing the line ethically, the breakdown was between them and the middle managers who carried out the task of achieving sales goals. The code of ethics did seem, at times, like it existed to portray a good image rather than actually improving behavior. In order to foster a more ethical climate, first, the upper level managers would have to be more willing to address the sales practices taking place in each location. Interestingly the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 requires public companies to disclose whether they have a code of ethics for their executives and financial and accounting officers. (Chua & Rahman, 2011) This would seem to leave middle managers attached to a code of ethics only in the form of an honor system, perhaps a convenient disconnect. Avnet would also need to address the rewards system more ethically. In regard to the annual trip to Hawaii, there were instances where sales parameters were left vague enough that leaders could choose winners based on favoritism as opposed to actual results (ironically, I got to go in 2013, and while picking me was not an outright act of favoritism, my spot on the trip was not tied to any tangible performance metric). Thirdly, at Avnet there is a corrective measure employed where an employee is issued a Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) if their performance needs improvement. I was told by a manager that this PIP was actually a step taken by management in creating a paper trail needed to get rid of an employee, protecting the company from any liability brought about by a potential lawsuit filed by the disgruntled ex-employee. There was no actual intention of allowing the employee to improve. I saw an employee get fired even after he fulfilled the PIP assigned to him. Using the PIP for the intended purpose would foster a more ethical climate. "providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." ( 2Cor. 8:21) Additionally, in caring for their employees, Avnet could follow this advice: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." ( Rom.12:9)

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