Proceedings of 8th European Assembly on telework (Telework2001)

972. The set <strong>of</strong> VIP objectives are:• To clarify the essence <strong>of</strong> business ethics and conduct a dialogue on corporate responsibilitiesamong VIP partners and VIP industrial participants.• To provide a comprehensive overview and a systematic review <strong>of</strong> the relevance and impact <strong>of</strong>existing conventions (legislation, agreements, declarations ) and codes <strong>of</strong> conduct applicable forinternational business and work across national borders.• To develop a database and assessment tool – accessible via Internet - based on survey data andfuzzy logic methodology that facilitates stimulation, control and analysis <strong>of</strong> consensus buildingprocesses• To suggest an ethical code for work performed across national borders. This is made in dialoguewith large international companies• To obtain endorsement <strong>of</strong> the VIP-Code by 100 international companies which also declarethemselves willing to adopt the code for their international operations, publicly demonstratedby prototyping application <strong>of</strong> the VIP Self-Assessment Tool (VIP-SAT).3. Technical approachThe overall VIP methodology is a combination <strong>of</strong> classic scientific methods and approaches -involving descriptive, analytic, explanatory and normative elements - and development work,which is carried out in co-operation with industrial partners and participants.The research activities consist <strong>of</strong> two parts. The first is to describe the nature <strong>of</strong> ethics in general,to identify value systems and clarify linkages to business ethics and strategies. To promote theseaims the methodology is in the first place literary surveys, but also dialogues with VIP industrialparticipants. The work will result in a comprehensive discussion <strong>of</strong> the topic and provide aknowledge base, which will facilitate the VIP Code formulation process.The second part <strong>of</strong> the research work includes systematic scanning <strong>of</strong> existing codes <strong>of</strong> conduct,ethical codes and multilateral agreements on human rights, work conditions, environmentprotection, international business relations and information technology use and transfer. In addition,this section includes development <strong>of</strong> a tool for analysis and consensus building - based on casestudies, sociological research and fuzzy logic-methodology.Parallel to the research activities, development work is carried out on VIP code formulation,expansion <strong>of</strong> the industrial participants group and on concertation and dissemination <strong>of</strong> VIPprocesses and outcomes.The Voluntary Industrial Code <strong>of</strong> Practice – a quality label for IST-enabled cross-border workarrangements – is aimed at:• securing a fair division <strong>of</strong> Information Society economic benefits between relocating/establishingorganisation and host country/region• improving working conditions and quality <strong>of</strong> life in host countries/regions• stimulating the development <strong>of</strong> global trade <strong>of</strong> services and contributing to fair global competition• improving competitiveness <strong>of</strong> <strong>European</strong> enterprises through ethical considerations whenapproaching the global marketplace