Focus on the "Tone of the Organisation" - "Tone at the top" to "Tone in the middle"

" Tone at the top" is a term often used to describe how an organisation's leadership creates an environment that fosters ethical and responsible business behaviour. While tone at the top is important and a vital foundation, is it enough?

Key Considerations

While leaders communicate the company's vision, mission, core values and commitment to ethical behaviour, what really drives the culture and resonates with employees is what they see and hear every day from their supervisors. If the behaviour of middle managers contradicts the messaging and values conveyed from the top, it won't take long for lower-level employees to notice. Because the top-down emphasis on responsible business behaviour in an organisation is only as strong as its weakest link, it is vital that the tone at the top be translated into an effective " tone in the middle" before it can reach the rest of the organisation.

Three dynamics drive this collective culture, or the " tone of the organisation" ... READ MORE

Released by Protiviti - January 2013