2 days agoStephanie O’Neil AARPCOLLAPSE
I did not know much about AARP until I met the Vice President of Experience Strategy & Governance at a marketing conference last May, we chatted over lunch about the company, it’s mission and values. I would have to say, I was extremely impressed by what I learned.
AARP is dedicated to serving the public, as the founder of the company put it
“TO SERVE, NOT TO BE SERVED” – DR. ETHEL PERCY ANDRUS, FOUNDER OF AARP ”
After reading through the companies long Code of Conduct manual I feel that the company does a fantastic job of demonstrating the following three ethical values:
Honesty – The company prides itself on the integrity it upholds, as shown in the below paragraph pulled from the Code of Conduct Manual
“We cannot fulfill our mission and be successful without exhibiting integrity in everything we do. The Code of Conduct is our guide. It is our commitment to ethical conduct and sets forth the expectations for our employees, volunteers, Board members and those with whom we do business. At a minimum, it requires us to be honest and truthful, to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, to follow the Code, to raise your voice if you think something is not right, and to not retaliate against those that raise concerns. If you need help, there are many resources available to you”
Fairness – AARP Works hard to fight against age discrimination and prides itself on helping people over the age of 50 with opportunities they may not otherwise have at their age (partnership programs, community resources, etc).
Example from earlier this year ” The AARP has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago holding that outside job applicants have no protection under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.”
Responsibility – AARP strives to serve the need of its customers by continually partnering with new organizations and identifying opportunities that add value to the customer experience.
Multiple examples of this can be found on the Social Impact page of the website – “AARP focuses on policies and issues that reflect our members’ concerns and interests”
Based on my analysis of these values, and others, that AARP demonstrates, I think it is important for a company to have a “Code of Conduct” that highlights and trains employees on how to act ethically.
Sources can be found in links above.