Unit 2. Business Conduct and Ethics Code of an Engineer

Lead-in

Ex. 1. How do you understand the terms “business conduct” and “ethics code”? From your point of view, what are the main aspects of business ethics? What do they have in common with the ethics of interpersonal relations? Why are these notions important for today’s business? Discuss these issues in class.

Reading and Vocabulary

Ex. 2. Read some excerpts from the Code of Business Policies of TNK-BP. See if you were close to defining the terms “business conduct” and “ethics code”.

Code of Business Policies of tnk-bp

This Code of Business Policies contains standards of conduct corresponding to the basic objectives and values of TNK-BP. The Code establishes TNK-BP's corporate governance principles to which all employees will be held accountable.

Commitments

The Company's business policies will focus on five areas:

• Ethical conduct;

• Employees;

• External relationships;

• Health, safety, security and environmental performance;

• Control and finance.

These Policy Commitments are the foundation on which TNK-BP will build and conduct its business. Everyone who works for TNK-BP will be expected to live up to these commitments.

Ethical Conduct

TNK-BP will pursue its business with integrity, respecting the different cultures and the dignity and rights of individuals in all the regions where it operates.

Employees

TNK-BP will respect the rights and dignity of all employees. TNK-BP recognizes the contribution that employees make to its ongoing success. Working together, drawing from the diverse talents of its employees, the Company will:

• stimulate new and creative opportunities for its business;

• generate a more exciting and rewarding environment for work in which every individual feels responsible for the performance and reputation of the Company;

• build a new corporate culture;

• be committed to creating a work environment of mutual trust and respect.

Employees can expect to:

• know what is expected of them in their job;

• have open and constructive conversations about their performance;

• receive help within the Company in developing their capabilities in a culture of innovation and encouragement in developing themselves;

• be recognized and competitively rewarded for their performance;

• be listened to and involved in improving the team’s performance;

• feel supported in the management of their personal priorities.

External Relationships

The Company believes that long-term relationships founded on trust and mutual advantage are vital to its business success. TNK-BP is committed to create mutual advantage in all of its relationships so that others will prefer to do business with the Company.

It will do this by:

• understanding the needs and aspirations of individuals, customers, contractors, suppliers, partners, communities, governments and non-government organizations;

• conducting its activities in ways that bring benefits to all those with whom it has relationships;

• fulfilling its obligations as a responsible member of the societies in which it operates;

• demonstrating respect for human dignity and the rights of individuals.

Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE)

Everybody who works for TNK-BP, anywhere, is responsible for getting HSSE right. Good HSSE performance and the health, safety and security of everyone who works for the Company are critical to the success of its business.

TNK-BP's HSSE goals are simply stated:

• no accidents;

• no harm to people;

• no damage to the environment.

The Company will continue to improve the environmental and health impact of its operations by reducing waste and emissions, and using energy efficiently. It will produce quality products that can be used safely by its customers.

Control and Finance

TNK-BP is aimed at maximizing long-term shareholders’ profits. It will maintain excellent standards of planning and business control together with transparency. It will manage its financial affairs to the highest professional standards, and in compliance with the law.

Ex. 3. VOCABULARY. In the text above, find the equivalents to the following words and phrases. (The sequence corresponds to their occurrence in the text.)

1. стандарты поведения

2. соответствовать

3. цель

4. устанавливать

5. корпоративное управление

6. отвечать за что-л.

7. внешние связи

8. безопасность (труда и т.п.)

9. безопасность (информации, компании)

10. придерживаться обязательств

11. вести свой бизнес

12. честность

13. уважать

14. достоинство

15. признавать

16. вклад

17. продолжающийся, непрерывный

18. разнообразный

19. творческий

20. поощряющий

21. корпоративная культура

22. взаимное доверие

23. на конкурентной основе

24. вознаграждать

25. долгосрочный

26. основанный на

27. взаимная выгода

28. иметь дело с

29. потребности

30. устремления

31. клиент

32. подрядчик

33. поставщик

34. неправительственные организации

35. выполнять обязательства

36. чрезвычайно важный

37. авария, катастрофа

38. экологический ущерб

39. воздействие

40. уменьшать

41. отходы

42. выбросы

43. эффективно, рационально

44. качественный продукт

45. максимизировать

46. акционер

47. прибыль

48. поддерживать, соблюдать

49. прозрачность

50. управлять финансовыми операциями

51. в соответствии с законом

Ex. 4. From the Vocabulary List above, find synonyms to the following items.

1. vital

2. decrease

3. honesty

4. various

5. goal

6. continuing

7. effect

8. based on

Ex. 5. Match words from Column A to the words from Column B in order to form phrases. Translate the resulting phrases into Russian. Make up five sentences with these phrases illustrating the principles of work in an oil company.

Column A	Column B
corporate quality mutual external corporate non-governmental	advatage relationships organization product governance culture

Ex. 6. Insert appropriate items from the box into the following sentences, changing the form of the word if needed.

a) objective	d) contribution	g) aspirations
b) establish	e) diverse	h) customer
c) safety	f) competitively	i) impact

1. Can you enumerate the __________ facilities at your university’s building?

2. From your point of view, does a career in oil and gas industry require __________ skills or just perfect knowledge of technical matters?

3. Have your personal __________ changes since you became a university student? If yes, in what way?

4. How can the negative environmental __________ of oil production be reduced?

5. What career __________ have you set for yourself?

6. What __________ can you make to improving the environmental situation in the area where you live?

7. Would you like to __________ your own company? If yes, in what sphere of activity?

8. What kinds of enterprises can be the __________ of oil producing companies?

9. Does your university have a system of rewarding students __________?

Ex. 7. Answer the questions from Task 6, using the new vocabulary from the text.

Ex. 8. Translate the following sentences into English, using vocabulary from the text. (The items are underlined.)

1. Непрерывное развитие технологий безопасности позволило уменьшить экологический ущерб от нефтяной промышленности.

2. Принципы корпоративной культуры в России не всегда соответствуют стандартам западных компаний.

3. В 2009 году акционеры компании сумели максимизировать свою прибыль.

4. Долгосрочные отношения компании с поставщиками и подрядчиками должны основываться на взаимном доверии.

5. Если вы имеете дело с этой компанией, можете не рассчитывать на прозрачность финансовых операций.

6. За последние 10 лет компания значительно уменьшила объем отходов и научилась более эффективно использовать ресурсы.

7. Работники компании отвечают за соблюдение стандартов поведения на предприятии.

8. Компания должна выполнять свои обязательства перед клиентами в соответствии с законом.

9. Честность и уважение достоинства сотрудников и клиентов – основа корпоративной этики.

10. Компания признает выдающийся вклад сотрудников, проработавших на предприятии более 30 лет.

11. В результате аварии произошел выброс вредных веществ в атмосферу.

12. Безопасность корпоративной информации является одним из фундаментов ведения бизнеса.

Speaking and Communication Skills

Ex. 9. Refer to the “Employees” part of the Code of Business Policies of TNK-BP in Exercise 2. Do you think that the same criteria can be applied to a university? Working in groups, discuss, whether your university corresponds to these requirements and whether you as students comply with them.

Ex. 10. Read through the Guide for Professional Conduct of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and match each statement to the corresponding point of the Code of Business Policies of TNK-BP from Exercise 2. Which of these obligations do you find most and which – least important? Which of them are violated most often, from your point of view?

• Ethical conduct

• Employees

• External relationships

• Health, safety, security and environmental performance

• Control and finance