Ethical code

It will include details of how the organization plans to implement its values and vision, as well as guidance to staff on ethical standards and how to achieve them.

In a membership context, failure to comply with a code of practice can result in expulsion from the professional organization.

In its 2007 International Good Practice Guidance, Defining and Developing an Effective Code of Conduct for Organizations, the International Federation of Accountants provided the following working definition: "Principles, values, standards, or rules of behavior that guide the decisions, procedures and systems of an organization in a way that (a) contributes to the welfare of its key stakeholders, and (b) respects the rights of all constituents affected by its operations.

Even organizations and communities that may be considered criminal in nature may have ethical codes of conduct, official or unofficial.

Sometimes ethical codes include sections that are meant to give firm rules, but some offer general guidance, and sometimes the words are merely aspirational.