Applying ethics to suppliers. (Eye on the Industry).More than half of associations--54 percent--have developed formal codes of ethical conduct, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. ASAE's industry and market research department, which collected survey data in 2001 from more than 1,000 associations in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Yet associations with codes are more than twice as likely to require primary members to adhere to adhere to verb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful 2. such guidelines as they are with supplier members (see chart). Why are associations less likely to require supplier members to adopt a code of conduct? One possible explanation may be due to the makeup of both groups. Primary members often have at least one characteristic in common--they work in the profession or industry represented by the association, which makes it relatively easy for the association to develop specific ethical guidelines. Supplier members, on the other hand, often represent a variety of professions and industries. Another possibility for this discrepancy may have to do with how associations perceive primary and supplier members. Many associations may feel less inclined to develop a set of ethical guidelines solely designated for supplier members given that they do not have the same privileges or benefits of primary members (i.e., do not have "full" membership status). Should more associations develop ethical codes Noun 1. ethical code - a system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct ethic system of rules, system - a complex of methods or rules governing behavior; "they have to operate under a system they oppose"; "that language has a complex system specifically designated for their supplier membership category? This question has been raised by some associations and the prevailing sentiment, albeit anecdotal anecdotal /an·ec·do·tal/ (an?ek-do´t'l) based on case histories rather than on controlled clinical trials. anecdotal adjective Unsubstantiated; occurring as single or isolated event. , is that suppliers must conduct themselves in a way that is consistent with the values of the association, and they should be equally responsible as their primary member counterparts for abiding by ethical guidelines. For more detailed benchmarking data on ethics, including ethical codes of conduct for volunteer leaders and association staff, call 202-371-0940 or 888-950-ASAE to obtain a copy of ASAE's 2001 Policies and Procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental in Association Management: A Benchmarking Guide ($156 for members and $228 for nonmembers, product AMB-216832). Submitted by Steven Williams, director of ASAE ASAE American Society of Association Executives ASAE American Society of Agricultural Engineers (Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems) ASAE Alkali-Sulfite-Anthraquinone-Ethanol Industry and Market Research. E-mail: research@asaenet.org. [GRAPH OMITTED] |
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