"A cleaning process has been under way in the last three years. Every new member signs the Code of ethics, the Court of Honour is fulfilling its responsibilities, younger managers are more engaged and that's why older members feel free to retire from the association," says the president of the Manager Association, Dejan Turk.
From a total of 1.200 members they've only had to expel seven of their colleagues. On the other hand Irena Prijović, the president of the Slovenian Directors Association, says that they still haven't expelled any of their 545 members-supervisors. Proceedings at the Court of Honour are under way against two or three of their members, which have already decided to step down themselves.
Only women are ethical
"Only women decide to step down during the clarification process," she commended the female attitude and called on her male colleagues to do the same. She added that there are limits to the sanctioning of bad practices for those supervisors which are not their members; in some cases abroad supervisors "freeze" their membership. Mrs. Prijović doesn't think that sets a good example.
Ethics in all business schools
Danica Purg also strives for a pro-active fight against corruption. Her Bled School of Management has been teaching ethics for 23 years now. In 2011 it joined the Ethos Initiative, which is part of the "UN Global Compact" program. In Slovenia it brings together 45 companies. On a global level it has around 12.000 member companies. They're all signatories of the Declaration for Honest Business, which also covers sustainable development, work standards, company attitudes towards the environment, and anti-corruption activity.
For that purpose they plan to establish an academy, where managers and board members will be able to gain additional knowledge on communication and accounting mechanisms for internal supervision. "We have to change the way of thinking. We as schools of management
are also responsible for those who we educate," is how Danica Purg summarized their plan.
Honest work pays off in the long run
"Honest work pays off in the long run," is the judgment of Vid Doria, the Secretary General of the Integriteta Association. The vice-president of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) Liljana Selinšek reminds that there are many anomalies in field of public–private partnerships. Up until the crisis public funds were often thought of as inexhaustible resources.
The Anti-Corruption Commission is now connecting with the above-mentioned NGOs in combating corruption. It is also active in preparing parts of legislation dealing with a bill on the integrity of legislation – as in the Slovenian State Holding Act and in the law establishing the bad bank.