Responsible behavior
Alcatel-Lucent has designed and implemented a compliance management system to achieve two equally important goals:
- To prevent and detect violations of law, regulation and company policy; and
- To promote an ethical business culture across the organisation.
To bring these goals to life, Alcatel-Lucent has put into place a comprehensive Ethics and Compliance program that is consistent with best practice standards and evolving legal requirements. By design, the program goes beyond strict legal compliance and establishes an ethical business culture that enhances our reputation as a company that clients want to patronize and where employees want to work.
The Group's comprehensive Ethics and Compliance management system includes:
- Compliance governance structure, with senior management involvement and oversight;
- Policies and procedures
- Global Code of Conduct
- Compliance risk assessment, with related mitigation plans and processes for continuous improvement;
- Communication and training; and
- Accountability and consequences, including reporting mechanisms.
Zero Tolerance
The company expects all employees to comply with applicable legal and company requirements; all identified compliance violations are addressed swiftly, consistently and fairly. As part of the company's systematic enforcement of its ethical approach, senior management established in 2009 a zero tolerance policy >>>
related to overall compliance issues, insisting upon 100 per cent integrity in all business practices.
With a reinforced focus on zero tolerance, the company announced in November 2008 that they were phasing out the use of sales agents and consultants on the basis that the corruption risk inherent in their use is inconsistent with the Group's "zero tolerance" policy. The status of this program is reviewed regularly at the highest levels of the Group, including the Alcatel-Lucent Ethics and Compliance Council and the Board of Directors.
On July 1, 2009, the Group rolled out a new "Sales Channel Screening and Selection Process" designed to ensure that resellers, distributors, and other third-party sales channels are not used in such a way as to circumvent policies prohibiting the use of sales agents and consultants.
All business partners, including suppliers and contractors, are selected based on merit, reputation and their ability to help Alcatel-Lucent achieve its business objectives. All must abide by ethical standards and business practices. In addition to such criteria as price, quality and delivery capability, suppliers and contractors are chosen according to their reputation for service, integrity and social responsibility.
International Initiatives
Alcatel-Lucent is a member of the World Economic Forum's "Partnering Against Corruption Initiative" (PACI), the International Chamber of Commerce's "Anti-Corruption" Commission and RESIST (Resisting Extortions and Solicitations in International Transactions) activities. >>>
In fact, Alcatel-Lucent was the only telecommunications company to contribute to the 2010 RESIST training guide. Alcatel-Lucent is also represented on the Board of Directors of the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, and is an active member in the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. Finally, Alcatel-Lucent is listed as a good case study in the UN Human Rights and Business Dilemma Forum
As a member of the UN Global Compact, we are also committed to respect the 10 principles defined by this organization in terms of human rights, labour standards, caring for the environment and anti-corruption. Principle 10 reads: "Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery."
