At TI, each individual employee is considered
to be a valuable asset, to be respected and to be nurtured,
both as an empowered individual and as a team member. TI has
remained focused on the individual and is committed to providing
a safe workplace that is free from harassment and discrimination
where each employee is encouraged to set high goals.
This business philosophy of employee/employer partnership
is evidenced by:
- an "open door" that gives every employee access to higher
levels of management;
- a work environment prohibiting retaliation and retribution,
discrimination and harassment;
- required sexual harassment training;
- external educational assistance available to all employees;
- a job opportunity system whereby employees are allowed
to move from job to job within the company;
- multiple, company-supported diversity networks, with
a major goal of career development; and
- strong TI support for community involvement.
The TI program focuses primarily on supporting and nurturing
the ethics of the workplace, not on identifying and punishing
wrong-doing, according to Carl Skooglund, former vice president
and director of ethics, Texas Instruments. "Compliance is
absolutely vital and mechanisms are in place, including strong
discipline for dealing with violations of laws, regulations
and ethical principles. But the overarching principle on which
all TI ethics activities are based is one of trust. We recognize
that trust is the basis for all solid business relationships
and those relationships depend upon a reputation and track
record of integrity. And, at TI, we view our reputations as
an asset as vital as the technologies that we develop and
bring to the marketplace," Skooglund said.
"We discovered some time ago that many new and entry-level
employees believed they had little to do with TI's ethical
reputation because they were not in a position to make significant
decisions," Skooglund explained. "All employees, however,
make decisions daily -- such as how to charge time or how
to use company assets -- and can create ethical problems with
poor decisions. For that reason, an effective ethics communications
program must address the entire spectrum of employees in an
intrusive, continuous manner, starting immediately after hiring.
"From the very beginning of an employee's tenure at
TI, the importance of ethical business practices is stressed
as well as how employees can receive help in making decisions
-- through the TI Ethics Office, from their manager, the legal
department, human resources or from other managers. In addition
to the continuous communications program, training courses
are designed to communicate TI's ethical business practices
to work groups.
"All these efforts underscore TI's commitment to maintain
the highest ethical standards worldwide," Skooglund said.
"However, it's not easy to set one standard that applies everywhere.
We are facing a variety of issues that we really never had
to think about before, and a large part of the company's continued
success in the global market depends on how we come to grips
with these issues." |
