Outline:

1.Introduction
2.Ethics
3.Attitude
4.Anti-Corruption
5.Ethiopian Code of Conduct
 Introduction
Background:
➢ 2001 General survey on corruption was conducted.
➢ Acc. to the study, Compared to Countries below Sahara
desert Ethiopia’s corruption status was low and small but
believed to increase
➢ FEACC: Federal Ethics & Anti-corruption Commission
➢ FEAC was established as per proclamation No. 235/2001
To facilitate its function
➢ Established Anti Corruption Commission offices in
five (5) regions
➢ Ethics Liaison Unit was established as per the Council of
Ministers Regulation No. 144/2008.
 Objectives:
1. Create public employees who do not condone (tolerate) corruption and
unethical behavior by promoting Ethics and anti-corruption education,
workplace ethics training, work discipline, ET Code of Conduct etc…
➢ (Awareness creation)

2. Prevent corruption and impropriety in public enterprises;

➢ (Prevention) using d/t strategies

3. Cause acts of corruption and impropriety be exposed, investigated and

appropriate actions are taken against the perpetrators.
➢ (Expose & Legalize)
2. Ethics
The knowledge of Ethics will enable us:
➢To appreciate Code of Conduct which regulates employee's behavior
➢To lead socially acceptable life
➢Bondage instrument to society
➢To be Ethically a worthy citizen
➢To evaluate human conduct
➢Etc.…
➢Evolution of Ethics (Morality):
➢ Confucius (551-479 B.C) – Chinese philosopher.
➢ Socrates (469-399 B.C)- Greek Philosopher.
➢ Plato (427-399 B.C)- Greek Philosopher.
➢ Aristotle (384-332 B.C)- Greek Philosopher.
➢ ዘረዓ ያዕቆብ (1599- 1692) የኢትዮጵያ መንፈሳዊ ፈላስፋ
➢ Contemporary thoughts on ethics – Business Ethics,
General Ethics and lots of works have been done.
➢ Etc…
But still, we are suffering from unethical behaviors. Why???
➢Functional theory in Sociology /Analogy- to bring social order/
to be healthy
➢Societal system Vs Body system

➢Institutions in which we reside shape our behaviors (fact)

➢Family
➢Education
➢Religion
➢Economy
➢Government
What is Ethics?
 Sociologist -Raymond – asked businesspeople
and:
Different people have their own answers;
"Ethics has to do with
what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.“
*A person following his or her feelings may recoil
from doing what is right. In fact, feelings
frequently deviate from what is ethical.
"Ethics has to do with
my religious beliefs.”

*Yet if ethics were confined to religion, then ethics would

apply only to religious people. But ethics applies as
much to the behavior of the atheist as to that of the saint
“Being ethical is doing what the
law requires.”

*Laws, like feelings, can deviate from what is ethical.

Our own pre-Civil War slavery laws and the old
apartheid laws of present-day South Africa are
grotesquely / / obvious examples of laws that deviate
ugly

from what is ethical.

"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our
society accepts.“

*Standards of behavior in society can deviate from what is

ethical. An entire society can become ethically corrupt. Nazi
Germany is a good example of a morally corrupt
society.

"I don't know what the word means."

*The lack of social consensus on many issues
makes it impossible to equate ethics with
whatever society accepts.
E.g. Some people accept abortion, but many others do not.
➢ What, then, is ethics? Ethics is two things.
First, ethics refers to well-founded
standards of right and wrong that
prescribe what humans ought to do,
usually in terms of rights, obligations,
benefits to society, fairness, or specific
virtues.
➢ Ethics, for example, refers to those standards
that impose the reasonable obligations to
refrain from ;
*Rape,
*Stealing,
*Murder,
*Assault/ attack
*Slander/ insult and
*Fraud.
➢ Ethical standards also include those that
enjoin/direct virtues/good quality of ;

*Honesty, Integrity
*Compassion/ care, and
*Loyalty/ Trustworthiness
*And, ethical standards include standards
relating to rights, such as the right to life, the
right to freedom from injury, and the right to
privacy.
➢ Such standards are adequate standards of
ethics because they are supported by
consistent and well-founded reasons.
➢ Ethics is principle often defined as code that shows
what is right, fair, just or good about what we ought
to do.

➢ Ethical behavior:
represents the behavior that conforms to
generally accepted social norms; whereas,
➢ Unethical behavior:
refers to behavior that does not conform to
generally accepted social norms.
Is moral value
Right or Good

-Was derived from the Greek

word ‘Ethos’- Character, Attitude, Custom
The basic question is:

*How do we know we are; right or wrong?

 GUIDES
*Let the LAWS be your guide!
*Let the RULES and PROCEDURES be
your guide!
*Let SHARED VALUES be your guide!
*Let your CONSCIENCE be your guide!
*Let your PROMISES be your guide!
*Let your HEROES be your guide!
The Three Parts of Ethics
A. Applied Ethics
▪ To use the Ethics ideally, we are talking about or to apply on the ground.
(Walk The Talk)
▪ Trying to solve the problems we encounter in our daily life using Ethical
behaviour.

B. Professional Ethics
▪Encompass the personal, organizational and corporate standards of behavior
expected of professionals.
▪ Professionally accepted standards of personal and business behavior often
prepared as code or principle.
 Cont’d.

C. Work Ethics
▪ Is a set of standards and rules that are required by an
individual for satisfactory work performance.
▪ May include being reliable, having initiative, or pursuing
new skills, open minded, honest, trustfulness, committed to
teamwork, have we spirit, accountable for what has done,
caring for workmates, responsible for his job, respectful,
being fair, and being positive, confidential, etc…
Generally, it refers to a person's attitudes, feelings and
beliefs about his work.
 Cont’d.

Martin Luther King Jr.

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he
should sweep streets even as a
Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven
composed music or Shakespeare wrote
poetry. He should sweep streets so well that
all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause
to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper
who did his job well.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the

pivotal leaders of the American civil rights
movement.
(1929-1968)
❖ CHECK BEFORE YOU ACT!
Check decisions and planned
activities for rightness before
implementing them
* Get litmus test
A. Is it legal?
B.Does it comply with
our rules and guidelines?
 Cont’d.

C. Is it in sync/harmony with our organizational values?

D. Will I be comfortable and guilt- free if I do it?
E. Does it match our stated commitments?
F. Would I do it to my family or friends?
G. Would I perfectly okay with someone doing it to me?
H. Would the most ethical person I know do it?
The six pillars of character/values for good work ethics
1. Trustworthiness- When others trust us, they give us greater
leeway /freedom because they feel we don’t need monitoring to
assure that we’ll meet our obligations.
*Refrain from even small lies or self-serving behavior that can quickly
destroy our relationships.
✓Be honesty
✓Be reliable/ dependable
✓Do what you say you will do
✓Have the courage to do the right thing
✓Build a good reputation
 Cont’d.

2. Respect- Treating everyone with dignity and

courtesy/ good manner;
✓ Treat others with respect
✓ Respect differences
✓ Be polite
✓ Use appropriate language
✓ Be considerate of the feelings of others
✓ Deal peacefully with conflict and anger
 Cont’d.

3. Responsibility-Ethical people show responsibility

by being accountable, pursuing excellence
and exercising self restraint/self-control.
✓ Do what you are responsible for
✓ Always do your best
✓ Be self-disciplined
✓ Think before you act
✓ Consider the consequences of your actions
✓ Be accountable for your choices
 Cont’d.

4. Fairness-it is unfair to handle similar matters

inconsistently.
✓Impartiality/Treat others fairly
✓Follow the rules
✓Be open-minded
✓Listen to others
✓Don’t blame carelessly
 Cont’d.

5. Caring-A person who really cares feels an

emotional response to both the pain and
pleasure of others.
✓Be considerate/attentive
✓Show that you care
✓Express gratitude/appreciation
✓Help others
6. Citizenship-Citizenship includes civic
virtues and duties that prescribe how we
ought to behave as part of a community.
❖COMMON RATIONALIZATIONS
FOR NOT DOING WHAT’S RIGHT

➢“Everyone else does it”

➢“The boss does it”
➢“No one will know”
➢“I don’t have time to do it right”
➢“That’s close enough”
➢“Some rules were meant to be broken”
➢“It is not my job”
REMEMBER THAT “LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT”!
➢Examine your own ethical make-up to see where you stand and where you need to improve.
❖…the ‘little white lies’ you tell; (True story of ‘April fool’s day, Apr. 01’)
❖…the jokes you share with others;
❖…the way you treat and talk about co-workers; you can heal or kill with your words
❖…the e-mails you write and forward to others;-
(1) email cases in ET
(2) Equatorial Guinea man /sex scandal - Baltasar who had
relationship with >400 women.

WILL SMITH (Actor) Vs CHRIS ROCK (Comedian) On OSCAR 2022 award

3. Attitude/ አመለካከት/ እይታ
➢ The feelings, beliefs, and tendencies to act toward other persons,
groups, ideas, or objects.
➢ A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a
particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor.
Another way to think of attitude is a mental habit that filters how you perceive the
world around you and the actions and behaviors you take in response.
It is a predisposition towards:
✓ yourself
✓ Your work
✓ Workmates
✓ Generally, your environment
 Attitude can be good or bad
Good attitude is said to be positive mental attitude
➢It is a constructive response.
➢A person of good attitude has positive thinking about:
✓Himself- exhibited through self respect and self confidence
✓Others- exhibited through respect and sympathy/ understanding
✓His work- exhibited through commitment,
enthusiasm/ passion, dedication, open-mindedness,
promptitude, perseverance/ persistent
Signs of Bad attitude in workplace:
➢Poor work quality and quantity
➢Showing poor job conducts like:
✓Absenteeism, being late/tardiness and leaving early
✓Not following government rules, Company policies and procedures
✓Not cooperative, argumentative
✓Defensive, excuse-making or rationalizing
✓Arrogant, self-centered, overly-confident
✓Etc…
❖Employers not only look at your ability but also critically look at your
attitude at work.
❖A study made at Harvard University found that a person gets a job or
promotion, 85% of the time it is because of his attitude, and only 15% of the time
because of intelligence and knowledge of specific facts and figures.
❖Employers hire and retain people who:
✓Are self motivated,
✓Are self directed learners, open-minded,
✓Are willing team players,
✓Are concerned about their own health and wellness,
✓Value co-workers' diversity,
✓Etc.…
Factors influencing work attitude
➢Job satisfaction- the feeling/ moods employees have towards their job.
• Is the most important job attitude

➢Organizational commitment- emotional attachment employees have toward

the company. Committed employees:
✓Believe in the company’s values,
✓Make effort for the achievement of the goal,
✓Have strong desire to work with the company,
✓Have the “WE” spirit,
Factors enhancing positive work attitude:

➢Characteristics of the job

✓Autonomy/ independence,
✓Receiving feedback
✓Variety of skills,
✓Performing significant task
✓Learning and growth opportunity,
➢Organizational justice and the psychological contract
▪Organizational justice can be:
1. Procedural- fairness on policies and procedures
2. Distributive- fairness on the d/n of resource, benefit
3. Interactional- the degree to which people are treated with dignity
and respect
➢ Psychological contract – the unspoken, informal
understanding that an employee will contribute- work ability, a
willing attitude and receive a certain things in return- reasonable
pay and benefits.

An employee believe that if works hard gets benefit,

promotion, no lay-off.

➢Relationship with: Colleagues, Managers

✓How friendly, how socially accepted in the group, treated
with respect, our opinions are valued, to be listened etc…
➢The level of stress the job creates

✓Environmental- noise, heat, lack of ventilation

✓Interpersonal- organizational politics, conflicts

✓Organizational- pressure to avoid making mistakes, worry

about the security of the job
➢ Human asset is the most valuable asset for a company.
➢ But people can be your biggest asset or your biggest
liability.
➢ With better attitude:
✓ Productivity will increase
✓ Better teamwork
Attitude formation is the result of learning from:

✓Socialization
✓Peer and reference groups
✓Rewards and punishment
✓Role model identification
✓Cultural influence
Steps to attitude change
(-ve to +ve)
1. Change focus, look for the positive (A dog walking on the water)
2. Make a habit of doing it now (Don’t procrastinate)
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude (don’t focus on don’t have but on what you have)
4. Get into a continuous education program (sharpen your axe)
5. Build a positive self-esteem
6. Stay away from negative influences
7. Learn to like the things that need to be done
8. Start your day with something positive
4. Anti-corruption
 What is Corruption?
➢Corruption is a criminal behavior that may involve
fraud, theft, the misuse of position or authority or other
act that are unacceptable to an organization and which
may cause loss to the organization, its clients or
general community.
❖ Characteristics
1. Processes and systems used to perform the offence
✓ Other crimes:
✓ Have character of being emotional
Revenge, to fulfill temporary need, etc…
✓ Don’t try to make the crime unknown
✓ Leave footprint

2. No specified victim owner

✓ No or less people go to law to make the crime known
E.g. In other crimes, If an individual is victimized, his family will go to law
 Cont’d.

3. Personalities of the performers

✓ Corruption crimes are performed by high level of
income, knowledge and authority individuals
✓ They can coordinate themselves systematically to
hide the crime
✓ Since they have the ability of decision making, can
seize the investigation,
✓ Can attack the investigators
✓ Investigators may also participate in the corruption
process.
 Cont’d.
4. Not seen as a taboo (Culture)
✓ When other crimes are performed the public is seen
irritated but when it comes to corruption no
✓ Our culture encourages corruption

“ሲሾም ያልበላ ሲሻር ይቆጨዋል”

How do we treat our children? “if you do this you will
get this.” our rewarding system should be revised.
✓ It is difficult to get evidence for what the society
doesn’t refuse as a taboo.

Its damage scope is reflected at national level, not only

on individual organization.
➢ Causes of corruption
✓ Lack of effective political leadership;
✓ Weak political commitment to control corruption;
✓ The prevalence of weak national interest;
✓ Variation of rules and directives;
✓ Disobedience by public servants;
✓ Poor law enforcement by the police, Judges, etc.
✓ Monopoly of power;
✓ High incidence of unemployment, poverty;
 Cont’d.
✓ Low salary scales and poor compensation of the public servants;
✓ Sense of tenure insecurity;
✓ Lack of code of conduct for public officials;
✓ Lax/negligent enforcement of auditing systems;
✓ Lack of policy for regular monitoring of assets and liabilities of a high-rank
government officials;
✓ weak punishments for criminals

Theories of Punishment
➢ Deterrent theory. To discourage and to be frightened
➢ Retributive theory. “An eye for an eye”
➢ Preventive theory. “To prevent the crime before happening”
➢ Reformative theory. ” Reform criminals and make them law
abiding citizens”
Types of Corruption (3 types)
1. Petty Corruption
(Bureaucratic Corruption )
Relatively less amount of Government and public assets will be in circle
✓ Prevail in Government and public service
provision
✓ Participants are bureaucracy employees and
officers
✓ It is the day-to-day activity
✓ It is rapid irritator/ Painful
✓ Performed by giving what one shouldn’t get
and by rejecting what one should get
 Cont’d.
2. Grand Corruption
✓ Greater amount of public and Government assets will be under
embezzlement
✓ Participants are government officials, high political leaders, and people
who have money and knowledge
✓ Since the performers have money, knowledge and asset can make the
crime secret and can hide documents
3. Political Corruption
➢Takes place at the highest level of political authority.
➢Political decision makers, who entitled to establish, formulate, and implement the
laws in the name of people, are themselves corrupt.
Implementation:
▪Electoral Corruption
▪Politicization of bureaucracy
▪Corruption in the legislative process
 Examples and forms of Corruption
✓Theft
✓Bribe – two types
Bribery – Service seeker asks

Extortion- Service giver asks by harassment

✓Embezzlement/ ምዝበራ-Since people who have the right to
administer public and government assets to steal, misuse, cheat
etc.

✓Fraud- Said to be economical crime,

❖Provision of falsified documents- education, work
experience, Id card etc.
 Cont’d.

✓Money laundering-is the process where by the proceeds

of crime are transformed into ostensibly legitimate money or
other assets

✓Etc…
Damages of Corruption
❖Economical
❖Social
❖Environmental
❖Political

In organization level (Damage)

✓ Downfall of the entire organization
✓ Massive investment loss
✓ Significant legal cost
✓ Imprisonment of key individuals
✓ Lack of reputation
✓ Etc….
 Corruption Triangle
• Pressure- represents a need to satisfy by
committing fraud. Pressure comes from
financial need or problem. To meet certain
standard of living to compete with perceived
peers.

• Opportunity- is the ability to commit

fraud and not be detected. Opportunities are
created by weak internal controls, poor
management, lack of board oversight, using
one’s position to override controls.
Persons in positions may be able to create opportunities to override
existing controls. Sometimes Fraudster knows what the auditor will do- the
when, what, and how much of the auditor’s procedures.
• Acceptance (Rationalization)- The ability to justify the fraud. Can
be justified in the context of saving a family member or loved one so he/she
can pay for high medical bill.
Corruption prevention strategies
1. To create awareness
2. Transparency and Accountability
3. Rule of the law
4. Implementation of Code of Conduct
5. To avoid complicated processes
6. Disclosure and registration of asset
7. Using Job rotation
8. To create strong institutional Culture
9. To strengthen whistleblowing strategies
10. Etc.
5. ETHIOPIAN CODE OF CONDUCT
✓To depict the desired behaviour at workplace
✓To establish and maintain a professional work environment
✓To minimize risk of financial and non-financial damage
✓To ensure regulatory compliance
✓To enhance employee job security
✓To reduce cost of errors, mistakes and incidents
✓To provide quality customer service
✓To secure safer work environment
✓To maintain positive image and reputation.

For reading: EAL HCM PM Corporate Matters 01.02

1. Compliance
✓Compliance to laws, regulations, directives, policies,
procedures, SOPs, checklists, supervisor instructions.
✓Compliance starts from understanding workplace
rules and guidelines. ("ignorance of law is not an
excuse“)
2. Reporting Incidents/Malpractices
✓Prove your belonginess to your Company.
✓Develop we spirit
3. Mental and Physical Fitness for the Job
✓Fit for purpose (Toolbox)
✓Refrain from any behaviour or practice that affect your work area:
▪ Political and Religious activities,
▪ Consumption of alcohol, drug etc…

4. Integrity/Honesty
✓Participating in any kind of:
▪ Theft, deceitful or fraudulent activities, abusing company
resources, benefits & access privileges abuse.
▪ Integrity requires to do the right thing even if no one is watching.
5. No Harassment and Violence
▪ All forms of sexual harassment (verbal form, written form,
gesture form, physical form) is prohibited

▪ Any form of violence is prohibited. Verbal or physical assault

against another employee or a customer or guest or trainee is
prohibited.
Conflict of Interest
✓No direct or indirect business relationship with ET
✓No employment with any organization having direct or indirect
business relationship with ET or competitor of ET
✓No supervision of a relative or spouse, a person with dating affair
✓Should report promptly to the company if engaged or going to be
engaged in any kind of conflict of interest mentioned above
7. Gifts
✓Any kind of cash or non-cash gift from customers or anybody with
business relationship with ET is prohibited.
✓If an employee receives gift from customers (in terms of cash or non-
cash) should promptly report to his immediate supervisor

8. Confidentiality
✓Business dealings, financial information, reports, employee profiles,
intellectual property, password, policies and procedures, strategies,
investigations etc…
✓አትናገር ለአትናገር ሲነግር ….
So, what is expected from us as Ethical employees of ET?
➢Use the guides for Ethical behavior discussed
➢Say no to unethical behavior
➢Don’t do things that can spoil your confidence- Photographer Cavin
Carter 1993 South African citizen (vulture Vs South Sudan Child whose ultimate fate was unknow)-
Published in New York times and sparked a wide reaction
➢Use your time wisely- we all have 24hrs/3=8 each- W/S/L
➢Whistle blow- ET is belongs Ethiopian people
➢Stay positive/ be optimistic/ look for the positive- Be positive person
➢Listen and learn- Sharpen your Axe
➢Be open minded- Evaluate new ideas, don’t just refuse or reject
➢Don’t join the gossip mill- speak frankly
➢Be consistent
➢Develop and have ‘a we spirit’ around your work environment
➢Etc.
➢ Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what
you think, you can’t control what you do.

❖ Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.

❖ Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior.

❖ Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits.

❖ Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.

❖ Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

1869 to 1914