In 2002, Tyco began rebuilding their ethical reputation- thanks to the leadership of their new CEO, Edward Breen.

Prior to the Breen era at Tyco, former CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Swartz were part of a major scandal that made headlines around the globe, and were eventually found guilty of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from Tyco.

According to the article The Best Managers of 2004, when Breen took the reins at Tyco, "many people thought the disgraced conglomerate was headed for bankruptcy, just like Enron.

The Edward Breen Era

In 2004, Breen proved them wrong.

Under his leadership, Tyco has more than survived the scandalous conduct of former executives and now has a bright future."

In 2009, Breen was listed as #63 on Ethisphere's list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics. In 2004, Tyco was recognized with an award - the “Outstanding Improvement in Board Governance” award, from the Centre for Corporate Change.

According to Johnson & Johnson, Tyco Win Ethics Awards at Beaver Creek Forum, Tyco was given the award for making drastic changes, including replacing board members and hiring an executive vice-president for corporate governance, in the wake of the recent management scandal at the company.

How Did They Pull Off This Ethics Recovery?

The transition to an ethical workplace at Tyco began with the hiring of Breen as the new CEO, and the hiring of Eric Pillmore, the first ever SVP Corporate Governance.

The first major change made was replacement of the old board of directors and 290 of the 300 corporate employees, which took place in early 2003.

Pillmore left Tyco in 2007.

3 Fundamental Keys to Success in Ethics

Pillmore had established 3 principles that have been integrated into the governance at Tyco that he believes are fundamental keys to success in ethics.

The three elements are found in the essay, Tyco International: Leadership Crisis, and are summarized below:

1. Presence of strong leaders - Those who see themselves as stewards of the company and mentors for its future leaders.
2. Web of accountability - Simply thinking you’re an ethical person isn’t enough. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and ask good questions to help you make ethical decisions all the time.
3. Behaviour tracking process - Include company values in all managerial and leader assessments.

Tyco has published the Tyco Guide to Ethical Conduct.

In the document, Breen informs employees that they are responsible for bringing issues forward and understanding the company's core values. The document is easy to read and understand, and is thorough in the information outlined within it.

One of the things I think is most useful for Tyco employees in this guide book is the use of examples.

Real life situations have been used in order to assist in the understanding of what is/isn't acceptable at Tyco. I suggest clicking on the link above and taking a look through their ethics guide, as it's a great benchmarking tool.

RELATED: Your Complete Guide to Establishing an Ethical Culture 

Righting the Wrongs

Tyco established a confidential hotline, the ConcernLINE, for employees to ask questions or raise concerns, as well as an Ombudsman.

Employees have been given all of the contact information for these types of services in the Guide to Ethical Conduct and are encouraged to bring concerns forward.

Published on their company website, Tyco's ethical guide states that:

"Tyco is committed to the highest standards of integrity, which begins with making sure that everyone across the Tyco organization understands the company's core values— integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability."

Quarterly Report Regarding Issues and Complaints

Tyco publishes a quarterly report that's based on the issues and complaints that employees bring forward- omitting personal employee information such as names of course.

The publication also includes the the company's findings on disciplinary action (if taken).

Pillmore mentioned that this report is one of the most popular ones for employees, as they can see first hand what the company is doing to correct problems and see what other issues are taking place within the company.

Pillmore also traveled around the world and tried to speak with as many employees as possible, because he says that “facing them on a regular basis keeps you from being a bureaucrat."

Supplier Diversity Program

Tyco established the Supplier Diversity program, which is "committed to...increase the number of diverse suppliers, increase the amount we spend with them, and include them in our sourcing initiatives."

The one area that Tyco is working on improving during their ethics recovery is the interview process and using that as a control mechanism to ensure that those entering the company fit in with the culture and ethics at Tyco.

Pillmore stated "the thing still lacking is how we transfer this to the front end- to keep bad guys from getting in.”

RELATED: Ethics at the Top: How the C-Suite Affects Company Culture