What is a values-based ethics programme?
The DEP is an example of a values-based ethics programme whereby ethical principles and values are the defining elements of the programme. These principles and values should be considered not only as guides for personal and institutional conduct but also as criteria by which that conduct should be judged. Two other widely used approaches for developing ethics programmes are the compliance-based approach and preventive-based approach. Very different from values-based, the compliance-based approach tends to develop elaborate codes emphasizing compliance with rules, thus acquiring a strong legalistic tendency. A preventive-based approach identifies areas of organizational behaviour that are considered to be exposed to high risks of non-compliance and focuses its efforts in these areas. A values-based approach to ethics, on the other hand, states in general terms what is desirable, rather than specifying in detail what should or should not be done. While the DEP is classified as values-bas
