NASBA Offers Ethics Training and Certification

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s Center for the Public Trust has introduced an Ethical Leadership Training and Certification for business professionals.

The online, self-paced and interactive program includes three training modules that discuss ethical culture, leadership and strategy. Each module provides videos, real-world ethical dilemmas discussed by subject matter experts, along with quizzes to test the participant’s understanding. Participants can take the modules individually, or as a whole, to earn the ethical leadership certification.

Since 2005, the NASBA Center for Public Trust has encouraged leaders to support ethical business practices, by conducting a variety of collegiate and professional programs including the Student Ethical Leadership Certification, launched in 2014. The success of the student certification led the CPT to develop a certification for business professionals.

“Ethical decision-making is one of the most important components of sustained business success,” said CPT president Alfonzo Alexander in a statement. “This training and certification program is designed to help employees recognize ethical issues, resolve ethical dilemmas and create an atmosphere that promotes positive ethical behavior in organizations. At the end of the program, users will have a clear understanding of why ethical leadership is important to both business and career success.”

The training is based on best practices from successful organizations, along with examples of some common corporate weaknesses. Culture, leadership and strategy are the overarching themes of the certification. After completing a module known as “Culture Matters,” participants are expected to understand how and why ethical leadership should occur at any level of employment, why ethical leadership is critical to business and personal success, and the benefits of cultivating ethical leadership.

Upon completion of the “Leadership” module, participants should understand how each employee has a role in shaping ethical cultures, leadership styles and power structures, as well as strategies for maintaining and monitoring ethical cultures. Following completion of the “Strategy Matters” module, participants should understand how to develop effective ethics programs, strategies for communicating ethical values to employees, and strategies for responding to ethical crisis situations, among other topics.

The training was developed by a three-way partnership between the CPT, Savant Learning Systems, and business ethics professors and consultants Drs. O.C. and Linda Ferrell.

To view a program demo, click here.

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Associations Continuing education
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