Type here to search Corporate Ethics Can't Be Reduced to Compliance Peter Rea, Alan Kolp, Wendy Ritz, Michelle D. Steward APRIL 29, 2016 At companies across the globe, the layers of compliance mechanisms are growing. At first blush this seems to make sense: Perhaps the most obviously straightforward method of preventing unethical or damaging behavior is increasing the number of rules designed to curtail it. However, one of the more unsettling and unintended consequences of a singular focus on ethics-as- compliance is a checkbox mentality that gives the illusion of reducing risk without really doing s. Moreover, unless an organization is careful, a compliance-focused approach to eliminating unethical behavior can stunt a company's efforts to innovate and to take intelligent risks. So what can a company do to excel ethically? Instead of focusing on the poor choices you want employees to avoid, focus on the positive virtues you want them to exhibit Plato emphasized a virtue-based system of ethics 2,400 years ago in his Academy. The philosopher believed that virtues were best encouraged through questions and discussions rather 11:04 3801202