A strong Compliance culture is an important basis for sustainable corporate success today. It starts at management level and permeates the entire company - from day-to-day work to strategic decisions. Binding values and responsibility in practice characterise trust among employees, partners and customers alike. In this context, KIROI Step 5 helps companies to combine ethics with success, thereby increasing the Compliance culture to strengthen.
Compliance culture: promoting values and behaviour
A successful Compliance culture is reflected in the practical implementation of rules and ethical principles in everyday working life. It is crucial that managers make their commitment visible and act as role models for compliant behaviour. Clear communication channels and accessibility of compliance guidelines promote acceptance and create commitment.
For example, a medium-sized industrial company reports how the management organises regular ethics workshops and discusses specific everyday situations in order to make compliance issues tangible. An international service provider uses digital platforms to transparently answer employees' questions about compliance standards and promote discussions. An interactive code of conduct training programme was introduced at a financial services provider, which uses case studies to support employees in their decision-making.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract)
As part of a KIROI coaching programme, a customised compliance training course was developed for an international technology company. The measures met with a high level of acceptance because they took practical use cases into account and managers were actively involved. As a result, awareness of ethical behaviour increased sustainably and cooperation between departments improved significantly.
KIROI Step 5: Ethics & success through targeted support
The fifth step of the KIROI strategy focusses on support and individual impulses in order to improve the Compliance culture anchoring ethical principles. This is about more than just complying with rules - it is a process that integrates ethical principles into decisions and structures. Coaching helps to critically scrutinise existing processes and adapt them where necessary. This breaks down silos and strengthens interdisciplinary cooperation.
In one example from the healthcare sector, KIROI coaching facilitated the integration of new regulatory requirements in various departments. In a manufacturing company, awareness of data protection was increased by addressing ethical aspects in workshops. An IT service provider focused on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in order to recognise risks at an early stage and manage them in an accentuated manner.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract)
As part of the KIROI support, an insurance company developed a sustainable programme for further compliance training. The initiative deliberately focussed on interactive formats that conveyed ethical dilemmas in a practical way. The result was a stronger identification of employees with the compliance goals, accompanied by a measurable improvement in dealing with risks.
Practical tips for strengthening the compliance culture
Companies should take the „tone at the top“ seriously and position managers as beacons for compliance and ethics. This includes regular training, transparent communication channels and an open ear for employees' questions and concerns.
Here are some realisable approaches:
- Integration of a clear code of ethics with comprehensible rules and examples.
- Regular audits and feedback rounds to check compliance and recognise weaknesses at an early stage.
- Promoting openness through whistleblowing hotlines and confidential counselling options.
- Anchoring compliance targets in the key performance indicators (KPIs) as part of the corporate culture.
- Reducing hierarchies in order to intensify cross-departmental collaboration and avoid silos.
In a medium-sized retail company, the introduction of case study workshops enabled typical compliance risks to be better understood and preventively avoided. An international bank increased its ethical awareness with targeted management development and significantly reduced the number of rule violations. A software company integrated compliance topics into the onboarding of new employees in order to embed the culture from the outset.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract)
A customer from the logistics sector used KIROI coaching to strengthen its culture of responsibility. Employees received regular training on ethical behaviour and compliance. Changes became measurable and a positive dynamic developed throughout the company, which also had an impact on customer satisfaction.
My analysis
The Compliance culture is an essential success factor for modern companies. KIROI Step 5 provides valuable impetus for combining ethics and organisation in the long term. It is important to have credible leadership that leads the way with well-communicated values and provides continuous support. Compliance thus becomes an integral part of economic and social behaviour. Companies that follow this path strengthen their competitiveness and create trust both internally and externally.
Further links from the text above:
Compliance (business administration) - Wikipedia
Mastering compliance management: KIROI Step 5 Ethics & success
Step 5 of the KIROI strategy: Practical examples of ethics and compliance
Elements of a compliance management system
Risk and compliance culture as a management task for bank board members
Effective compliance communication
For more information and if you have any questions, please contact Contact us or read more blog posts on the topic Artificial intelligence here.
Deutsch 
English (UK)