Kellogg Code of Ethics

Posted: January 5th, 2023

Student’s Name

Tutor’s Name

Course Title

Date:

Kellogg Code of Ethics

Introduction

Kellogg or Kellogg’s is a leading operator in the food processing industry that focuses on conducting its operations while following ethical guidelines. The company appreciates the need to follow ethical guidelines in relating with stakeholders and performing activities, and has formed a Code of Ethics that outlines the manufacturer’s primary values. Kellogg is at a better chance of elevating its application of ethical guidelines and practices by considering alternative ways for making the Code

Brief Description about Kellogg

Kellogg’s is an American multinational firm, specializing in the manufacturing of food products. The vision of the firm based in Battle Creek is to create a just and good world where people do not just feed on the manufactured foods, but also get fulfilled (Kellogg a). The group aims at making better days and a place at the table for each person through the company’s trusted food brands. The company manufacturers highly praised and nutritious food brands such as Special K, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Eggo, MorningStar Farms, and Mini-Wheats among others (Kellogg a). The firm generated a net sale of about $13.8 billion in 2020, which mainly came from the sales of convenience foods such as noodles, frozen foods, and cereals, as well as from snacks (Kellogg a). The group initiated the Kellogg’s Better Days initiative with the goal of helping to bring hunger to an end, and the firm is dedicated to building better days for billions of people by the time 2030 comes to an end (Kellogg a). The company that operates in the food processing sector uses the experience it has gained for the more than 100 years it has served in the sector to enhance the realization of societal, emotional, and physical wellbeing through its foods (Kellogg a). Overall, the corporation seeks to provide nourishing foods, to feed people in need, to nurture the planet, and living the values of its founding fathers such as John Harvey Kellogg and Will Keith Kellogg.

How Well the Document Reflects the Organization’s Ethical Principles

Kellogg aims at conducting its activities in accordance with ethical guidelines. The firm relies on its Code of Ethics guidelines that define how the group will perform its activities. The document reflects the organization’s ethical principles in the way it outlines the company’s major values. Kellogg acts with integrity and shows respect in all that it does (Kellogg 2). Acting with integrity enhances customer loyalty and makes it easy to build proper relationship with staff members and attain respect from everyone. The document shows how Kellogg carries out its activities in an accountable way to win the trust of each stakeholder, and to foster worker commitment and improve innovation and creativity (Kellogg 2). The document describes how the company is passionate in all it does, particularly about its food, brands, and business, and illustrates how the firm practices humility in all that it does (Kellogg 2). In addition, Kellogg strives for simplicity, which provides the business with the chance to benefit from an efficient and healthier approach to growth. The firm strives to attain simplicity by remaining focused on particular objectives and eliminating the inappropriate activities that are hindering the realization of the goals (Kellogg 2). More fundamentally, Kellogg’s Code of Ethics describes how the company aspires to achieve the most successful outcome from its activities (Kellogg 2). The clear set of values outlined in the Code of Ethics document helps workers and other key stakeholders to know what the corporation stands for.

The Code of Ethics document also outlines the global code of ethics principles that guides the company as it ventures in the international market. The firm regards its people as a vital part of its operations, and treats everyone fairly and integrity, and also with respect and integrity (Kellogg 5). The document also describes how Kellogg pays attention to treating its customers in the safest manner, while offering them great-tasting and high-quality food stuffs (Kellogg 5). In addition, the document elaborates how the company aspires to fit better into the global marketplace by competing in a vigorous and integral way. The Code of Ethics describes how the company partners with companies that share similar goals and values. Furthermore, the Code of Ethics describes how the firm relates with its investors in a way that is not likely end in ethical concerns (Kellogg 5). It describes how the firm is a preferred investment by many stakeholders because the group puts much effort to enhance the present and while building strong foundation for the future (Kellogg 5). Besides, the document defines how Kellogg utilize natural resources appropriately to support its communities, especially through the company’s corporate social responsibility program.

Where Kellogg’s walks the Talk

Kellogg’s management knows that it is not enough to develop a code of ethics without taking practical measures to achieve the desired outcomes. The group knows that it requires the commitment of everyone to realize the company’s values (Kellogg 7). The firm requires its workers to be responsible both individually and collectively. All workers take the initiative to honor their commitments, and commit themselves to uphold the Code of Ethics, obey all regulations and act in good faith and responsibly (Kellogg 7). Each worker tries to show respect by appreciating diversity of thought and views, promoting frank and open conversation, and taking into account the possible impact of their decisions on the stakeholders. Furthermore, each worker puts much effort to enhance trust among all stakeholders (Kellogg 7). Specifically, each employee seeks fair resolutions, and makes decisions depending on their advantages, relating honestly and fairly with everyone and upholding the most effective level of transparency in the way they make decisions.

While all workers are expected to show respect, promote trust, and conduct their activities with integrity, managers and other leaders have special obligations under the Code of Ethics, and they all take measures to ensure they act in accordance with the Code. Thus, all leaders work hard to foster a positive work environment where only appropriate, responsible, ethical, and legal actions are required, taking this into consideration whenever the firm plans to hire, delegate, or make promotions (Kellogg 8). The organizational leaders work hard to model suitable behaviors that are in accordance with the company’s Code of Ethics and values. They communicate quite often on the significance of ethically appropriate business conduct and discussing the legal and ethical effects of making decisions at the place of work (Kellogg 8). Leaders also walk the talk by effectively handling conflict of interest situations to attain appropriate and fair results, and uphold accountability among all workers regardless of job title or position.

Kellogg’s takes other measures to ensure that everyone abides by the Code taking into account that the Global Code of Ethics applies to all workers and representatives of Kellogg’s and its subsidiaries. Consequently, the group does not only apply the Code, but also goes ahead to perform investigations and take mitigation measures in a way that is fair, consistent, and respectful (Kellogg 9). The organization emphasizes the need to maintain a culture where the organizational concerns and ideas are considered with uttermost care and attention (Kellogg 9). The approach provides the chance to express one’s views with much freedom, and to extend integrity and trust, while showing ethical leadership. The company encourages everyone to seek guidance from team leaders whenever they have a question or concern.

The formation of the Code shows that Kellogg understands the importance of developing work policies. Hopkins (336) believes that creating different policies help to make the right decision, and makes it easy to guide employees. Hopkins (336) describes why it is essential to come up with policies on debt collection, investment, and fundraising among others to ensure these activities happen in accordance with ethical requirements. Kellogg walks the talk by introducing policies and continuously refining them to ensure that they provide the most appropriate guidance to all workers.

Where the Company Misses Some Opportunities

Kellogg’s should review its ethical guidelines and identify the opportunities that it misses but could utilize them to improve the company’s production of ethical structures. An evident opportunity that the company should find way of utilizing is the inclusion of ethical theories to guide how the firm enhances its practices and relationship with all stakeholders. For instance, the company can clearly outline in its Code how it plans to conduct its practices in accordance with the Kantian deontological theory, which advocates for increased respect for the other rational moral agents (Gray 3). Including the theory provides the opportunity to come up and apply moral principles and rules that apply to everyone everywhere (Gray 3). In addition, the company can draft its Code while relying on the guidance of virtue ethics, which requires everyone to act in accordance with moral doctrines that everyone acknowledges as being right and acceptable (Gray 4). Alternatively, Kellogg’s can conduct more studies on how to develop robust ethical guidelines considering that information is now rapidly available on many platforms.

Potential Outcomes of the Current Practices

The current ethical practices by Kellogg’s is likely to produce numerous positive outcomes that could be of significance benefit to the company. One of the major possible outcomes for applying ethical practices in guiding operations is that the group is likely to develop more effective core values and beliefs that help to build the right culture (Kellogg 8). Relying on the Code in everything that the company does present the chance to give a vision and mission to the company, and makes it possible to build an appealing reputation at the local and global markets. In addition, it is highly likely that following the Code will protect the organization and the firm from going against laws and regulations (Kellogg 9). The many merits that come with applying the current practices should motivate Kellogg’s to put more emphasis on refining the document.

Potential for Conflicting Value Frameworks

The developers of the Code pay much attention to avoid any possible conflicting value frameworks as a way of promoting its activities. Team leaders are vigilant to prevent any conflicts of interest that can emerge when operations outside of company’s work, the interests of other firms, or personal connections interfere with the firm’s capacity to perform its operations or to come up with decisions that are not biased on behalf of the company’s well-being (Kellogg 11). Managers are cautious to avoid any conflicting interests because they understand that even the emergence of slight conflict of ideology or interest can make other operators and stakeholders think that the organization is acting in the wrong way and should be disregarded.

Advice to Kellogg – Recommendations

Kellogg can improve its development and application of ethical guidelines by considering several critical measures that would help to attain the desired outcome. One of the possible approaches that may help Kellogg to improve its Code of Ethics is by learning from teams that have made significant strides in their production of guidelines that define how the company operates ethically. For example, Kellogg can learn fundamental lessons from Apple’s Code of Ethics, which is regarded as one of the most effective frameworks. Kellogg can restructure its Code of Ethics so that it pays more attention to building better relationship with its members of staff as Apple does (Apple 34). Apple develops a code of ethics, which stipulates that all workers in its supply chain have a fair opportunity to serve in an ethical and fair workplace (Apple 35). Apple acknowledges that employees must be handled with the most respect and dignity to make them more productive, and to increase their desire to work for the company (Apple 37). Paying much attention to developing ethical relationship with employees adds onto economic development and growth, which results in an expansion in efficiency (Salahudin et al. 466). Increased efficiency, in return, keeps the workers motivated and increase their desire to continue serving for the corporation (Salahudin et al. 466). However, Kellogg must be considerate when choosing which companies to learn from because others only present sweet words on paper, but dot portray what they mean.

The other possible approach that Kellogg’s can use to improve its application of the ethical guidelines is to make regular reviews of the document and identify areas that need to change. A suitable model for understanding and reviewing the Code of Ethics is the SWOT analysis, which requires evaluators to consider some of the possible weaknesses and threats that could interfere with how the document steers the company towards the right path in terms of ethical application. Knowing the possible weaknesses that make the Code of Ethics less appealing or less influential presents a better chance to make appropriate adjustments that would make the document more inclusive. Applying the SWOT analysis in the most appropriate way provides the chance to know the threats that could affect proper application of the ethical regulations. For example, the analysis makes it possible to identify how the production of code of ethics by other companies that pay more attention to employee welfare is likely threaten the company’s retaining ability. Furthermore, changes in business settings and employee requirements is also likely to threaten the appropriateness of the Code of Ethics. Similarly, conducting a SWOT analysis to examine the effectiveness of the Code of Ethics presents the chance to know its strengths, and to recognize the opportunities that the company can use make the ethical guideline more effective.   

It is essential to remind individual employees the significance of avoiding personal liability when relating with customers or other aspects of the organization. An appropriate way to prevent liability is to engage in behaviors that prevent or minimizes the chances of personal liability even if the firm is found liable (Hopkins 375). Each individual should acknowledge that they are fiduciary and have an obligation to carry out themselves in a prudent way.

Conclusion

Kellogg’s relies on the guidelines of its Code of Ethics to define how the company relates with key stakeholders and other operators in the sector. Kellogg’s Code of Ethics describes how the operator works hard to achieve integrity, accountability, passion, humility, simplicity, and appealing outcome. The company also relies on a set of ethical guidelines that regulates its activities at the global arena. Kellogg’s develops ethical guidelines to define how it relates with its people, consumers, marketplace, investors, and communities. Kellogg’s walks the talk by encouraging all workers to conduct their operations in an acceptable and ethical manner. Leaders also ensure that they do what the Code and company’s values require. Kellogg’s must take advantage of available opportunities to increase the positive outcomes that it achieves from applying the Code.  

Works Cited

Apple. “Apple Code of Conduct.” https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/pdf/Apple-Supplier-Code-of-Conduct-and-Supplier-Responsibility-Standards.pdf. Accessed 29 March, 2021.

Gray, Mel. “Moral Sources and Emergent Ethical Theories in Social Work.” British Journal of Social Work, vol. 40, no. 6, 2010, pp. 1794-1811.

Hopkins, Bruce. Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Kellogg. “Living Our Values: Kellogg Company’s Global Code of Ethics.” https://www.kelloggcompany.com/content/dam/kellogg-company/files/KGlobalCodeofEthics.pdf. Accessed 29 March, 2021.

Kellogg a. “About Kellogg Company.” Kellogg, 2021, https://investor.kelloggs.com/overview/default.aspx. Accessed 29 March, 2021.

Salahudin, Shahrul, Alwi Mohd, Buharuddin Siti and Halimat Siti. “The Relationship between Work Ethics and Job Performance.” 3^rd International Conference on Business and Economics, 21 – 23 September, 2016, pp. 465-471.