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Easier to do the right thing

The brochure is intended to facilitate in tricky situations regarding ethics and behaviour.
Published Nov 22, 2022

What do you do if a supplier simply insists on buying you Christmas dinner? Or if a student wants to show you, their teacher, their appreciation with a gift of some nice tea?
The brochure Corruption and Unethical Conduct makes it easier to do the right thing.

Sigbritt Karlsson, President of KTH, came up with the idea of the brochure, which is for all staff at KTH and aims to make it easier to decide how to act in potentially awkward situations.

“The idea is that everyone should know how to do the right thing, avoid unnecessary mistakes and, as a government employee, remain independent and neutral when assessing a situation, and not end up in a position of dependency.”

What do you hope the brochure will achieve in the organisation?

“The aim isn’t to lecture people, but to provide guidance that makes it easier to say no in situations where they might not know how to act. It’s important to bear in mind that it’s not about, say, the value of a gift or the amount of money you receive, but about principles that are in accordance with the basic Swedish values of central government authorities and how public sector employees should – and should not – conduct themselves.”

How will the brochure be used?

“I think at workplace meetings and at all levels in the organisation. I also think it’s good to show the brochure to all new employees. It’s important too to keep the discussion about these issues alive. It’s not always obvious how a certain situation should be dealt with, so dilemmas at work can be a good place to start.”

The brochure looks at a few everyday dilemmas that most people can identify with, and which raise questions.

“But the answers are not always black and white. Just because an action is legal, it might not necessarily be appropriate. Common sense will get you a long way, as will talking things over with colleagues. The brochure provides guidance on conduct and where to turn for further answers.”

The brochure Corruption and Unethical Conduct  can be downloaded at the Intranet.

Text: Jill Klackenberg

Page responsible:redaktion@kth.se
Belongs to: Current
Last changed: Nov 22, 2022