The 2023 Ethics Compliance Program Effectiveness Report showed that ethical courses tailored to organizations, improved the ethical workplace culture The goal of the organizations were to mainly emphasize the companies values, rather than rules and procedures. The report findings are as follow:

To business disruption and new challenges:

• Integrated ethical & compliance considerations into their decision-making Overall score was: 59% by top management; with middle management overall score: 51%

• Made difficult decisions consistent with company values and purpose  Overall score:. 69% by top management. With middle management overall score was: 41%.

In response to ongoing business disruptions and new challenges:

• Identified and managed new ethical & compliance risks and challenges as they arose in the course of business: Overall score was: by top management: 55%, with middle management: overall score was: 54%.

• Consideration of ethics and compliance risks or factors led to substantially modifying or abandoning a business initiative Overall score was: 52%.

Obstacles to improving ethical & compliance program’s impact and effectiveness:

• Staff shortages in the ethics & compliance hinder implementation of the program: 73% score.

• Employees are more disengaged than before the pandemic.: 68% score.

• The ethical & compliance team standing and authority isn’t sufficient to drive meaningful change: 67% score.

• Functions such as HR, Finance, or Audit do not cooperate effectively with ethics & compliance: 63% score.

• There is a lack of interest and support by senior management and the board: 59% score.

• Board of directors reviewing ethics and compliance program: overall score: 32%

• Employee engagement with Ethics and Compliance resources: overall score: 63%

In relation to the ethics index 2022 report, showed the following:

Ethical behaviour in occupation:

• Directors of foreign companies operating in Australia: showed 15% very unethical; and 25% somewhat unethical. (total 40% unethical)

• Senior executives: 10% very unethical; and 24% somewhat unethical (total 34% unethical score).

• Lawyers: 12% unethical; 23% somewhat unethical (total 35% unethical).

• Directors of Australian companies: 9% unethical; 19% somewhat unethical (total 28% unethical).

Ethics behavior from the economic sectors in Australian showed:

• Large companies in Australia: 14% unethical; 26% some what unethical.

• Trade or Associations in Australia: 6% unethical; 18% somewhat unethical

• Banking, finance and insurance companies in Australia: 14% unethical; 24% somewhat unethical (38% unethical).

The Ethical Advantage: the economic and social benefits of ethics to Australia report (Deloitte Access economics), Key findings found:

• The Governance Institute rates Australia +37 on a scale of -100 to 100 in ethics.

• The (main) Ethics & Ethical infrastructure is to:

• • Increased trust/social capital for individuals in Australia

• • Increase higher public trust for businesses in Australi

• By Increasing Australia's trust levels from 54% to 65% would result in an 18% increase in current productivity levels.

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Reference

• Survey conducted August/ September 2022, Governance Institute Of Australia 's Ethics Index 2022.

• The Ethical advantage: the economic and social benefits of ethics to Australia

• 2023 Ethics & Compliance Program Effectiveness Report, The 2023 report is based on a survey of nearly 1,860 ethics and compliance professionals at companies and organizations.