A practical example from the Netherlands
'For decades, ethics was simply equated with legal compliance. Now our view of what it takes to be a "good company" extends far beyond the boundaries of the law. Questions of ethics have come to reflect how a business impacts social, environmental, and political systems, and vice versa; a company can no longer operate solely as a self-interested, profit-maximizing black box'.2A. Taylor (2024). Corporate Advocacy in a Time of Social Outrage. Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2024/02/corporate-advocacy-in-a-time-of-social-outrage. This article is adapted from her book A. Taylor (2024). Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World. Harvard Business Review Press. We endorse this statement by Alison Taylor, author of Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World. Unfortunately, she also concludes that there is 'no playbook to help executives navigate this new world'. However, Taylor mentions several initiatives as sources of inspiration. For example: 'Consider Dutch bank Rabobank's dynamic approach to ethical challenges. Its Ethics Committee, which includes young employees, considers the ethics surrounding emerging issues such as AI and cryptocurrencies and sustainability dilemmas such as whether to source solar panels from Xinjiang'. In this article we will discuss Rabobank's Ethics Committee. We cannot provide a playbook either, but we can share experiences from within the organization and hopefully inspire others.3See also Bartleby (2024). How to manage politics in the workplace. The Economist: www.economist.com/business/2024/10/24/how-to-manage-politics-in-the-workplace