Business Code of Ethics

1282 Words6 Pages
Business Code of Ethics Individuals have a personal code of ethics built on their personal experiences, environment, and economic background. For an organization to allow employees to run rampant with only their personal code of ethics to guide them, could mean chaos and ultimately destruction. While a personal code of ethics guides an individual, a business code of ethics, also known as an ethics code, guides its employees and management on how the organization expects behavior and business to be conducted. When organizations develop their business code of ethics, they should concentrate on the mission, vision, and values of the organization to ensure alignment. If the code of ethics is not in alignment with the code of ethics, then there is a lack of consistency at the core of the business. The following will discuss Walgreens’ code of ethics and the ethical system or systems employed by the company. Modifications to Walgreens’ existing code of ethics and how changes would be implemented will be explored, along with any possible reactions and how the reactions might be addressed. Finally, the intended effect of the code on Walgreens’ culture will be examined. History Walgreens began in 1901, when Charles R. Walgreen Sr. bought the neighborhood drugstore in Chicago, Illinois he had been working in. In its early years, Walgreen instituted innovation, personal attention, fair and reasonable prices, as well as fresh and pure pharmaceutical compounds. As a registered pharmacist, Walgreen would fill prescriptions himself to provide a personal level of service. Additionally, Walgreen implemented what he called the “two minute drill”. The drill consisted of Walgreen taking a telephone order, repeating the order in a fashion to allow for his assistants to prepare the order, and keeping the caller occupied with various topics while the order was delivered
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