ND Expert: Obama's new ethics rules mirror those of top firms | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › ND Expert: Obama's new ethics rules mirror those of top firms ND Expert: Obama's new ethics rules mirror those of top firms Published: January 22, 2009 Author: Erik Runyon Ushering in a new era of openness, President Obama instituted some new rules onlobbyists’ relationships with government representatives ñ a good first step in establishing a foundation of ethics for his new administration, according to Patrick Murphy,C.R. Smith co-director of the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide at the University of Notre Dame. “In my study of corporations, leaders of highly ethical firms have the following practices: They set out and clarify ethical rules, they communicate them widely and they hold all members of the company accountable for following them,”says Murphy. “Obama’s use of the words ‘honest,’ ‘transparent’ and ‘trustworthy’ ñ as they relate to government ñ clearly communicates a message of ethical values.And the fact that these rules were promulgated on his first full day in office signals the priority Obama gives to ethical behavior in his administration. “Ultimately, though, like any other CEO, Obama’s success in breaking from ‘business as usual’ mold will be judged by whether these rules are practiced by his ‘employees.’” It is not only important for him to set the tone at the top, but also that mechanisms are in place so that ethical behavior is reinforced and unethical actions are punished. If this occurs, his administration should be able to avoid some of the ethical pitfalls that have occurred in the past." A professor of marketing, Murphy is the author of a book titled “Eighty Exemplary Ethics Statements,” in which he presents and comments on the codes of conduct at some of the world’s leading corporations and institutions. He is a fellow of the Ethics Resource Center in Washington, D.C. _ Contact: Murphy’s comments may be used in whole or in part.He can be reached at 574-631-9092 or_ " Murphy.72@nd.edu ":mailto:Murphy.72@nd.edu TopicID: 31187 Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn