Within an organization, the function Compliance plays a fundamental role in the detection, prevention and management of infractions and crimes committed in the context of business activities, including those that do not entail criminal liability of the legal entity. However, their effectiveness depends largely on the leadership of the governing body, of the goals of Compliance and, especially, of the perception of existing control.
The first two factors can be identified by answering the questions: what are the red lines that the organization has drawn and how many means it has adopted to prevent someone from crossing them. The perception of existing control, on the other hand, is closely linked to the advertising and awareness actions in matters of Compliance and with the severity or laxity with which infractions are pursued and the law is applied. disciplinary system.
The perception of control is linked to the effectiveness of the function Compliance, not because the control measures implemented are improved or increased, but because they have greater impact on people, which we must not forget are those who carry out the offending actions or types of crimes.
During the 1960s in the United States, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a series of social experiments concluding that The perception of disorder and crime are often linked, the latter being a product of the free development of the former. As a result of these experiments, the Broken windows theory, which postulates that if a window in a building breaks and is not repaired, the rest of the windows in the building will soon break, giving this feeling of disorder, which leads to the commission of crimes. On the other hand, greater care and maintenance of the urban environment generally reduces vandalism and crime.
The same thing happens in an organization. Therefore, it is important that the function of Compliance work on the perception of control by looking produce a sense of order and zero tolerance for violations of the ethical code, however insignificant they may be.
Do you want to specialize in Compliance and Data Protection Management?
He Master in Compliance & Data Protection Management will make you a highly qualified professional with the necessary skills to carry out specialized tasks in two of the most relevant areas for both private businesses as for public administrations: data protection and regulatory compliance or Compliance.
