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  • All Employees (25 min)

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Chris MacDonaldBusiness Ethics Expert
Sally MarchEthics & Compliance Expert
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Course

Conflicts of Interest Training

Conflicts of Interest
2nd Edition
Ethics
all

Examples of Risky Conflicts of Interests and Nepotism

Course Video Preview
Accepting a gift from a client in exchange for a favor.
As work and personal lives become more intertwined, conflicts of interest have become an unavoidable reality. In today's world, they play a crucial role, influencing not just workplace culture, but also the reputation and brand of an organization. It is crucial for everyone within your organization to have a clear understanding of the rules and expectations in this regard.

Course Description

This conflict of interest course covers some of the most common examples of conflicts of interest, as well as some instances in which the conflict of interest may not be so obvious. We equip managers and HR professionals with the tools to prevent and address conflicts of interest. The training also addresses common misconceptions around conflicts of interest. Interactive polling questions in the course give employers real insight into how employees feel about the concepts and culture skills presented. Emtrain’s innovative Ask the Expert feature gives learners direct access to course experts.

Key Concepts

  • What conflicts of interest are and how they can influence decision-making and reputation.
  • How even the perception of a conflict of interest can hurt the trust and reputation of the people involved.
  • Common conflicts of interest related to personal ties, financial interests, and outside activities.
  • Practical guidance - particularly to those who may assume that a conflict of interest automatically means they’ve done something wrong.
  • Through live action video workplace scenes that show your employees how these issues can be raised and often easily resolved.

Course Features

  • Access to our Anonymous Ask the Expert tool
  • Rich video scenarios based on real-world events
  • Built-in employee sentiment surveys
  • 50+ Machine Translation Options
  • Optional program timer
  • Policy acknowledgement tool
  • Extensive customization options
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Lessons

Making Clear Decisions

What Are Conflicts of Interest?

Common Issues

How Do People Get Off Track?

How to Handle Conflicts of Interest

Policies and Reporting

Post-Program Survey

From ‘Ask the Expert’

Emtrain’s Ask the Expert feature enables users to ask questions about compliance, bias, harassment, and diversity & inclusion as they come up. It’s all confidential, and answers are sent straight to their inbox. Search the questions below and see the Experts answers.

Q
Why is it a bad idea to rely on a foreign travel agency when handling travel expenses?
The concern is not so much relying on a foreign travel agency --- the concern is when anyone relies on an organization that has not been properly reviewed and vetted and there's a possibility that the organization's money is being spent on "gifts" or "bribes" to various foreign officials. In FCPA (foreign corrupt practices act) cases -- many involve foreign travel agencies who pretend they are booking travel and arrangements and instead, that money is going to pay bribes to foreign officials. As a result, an organization should be careful to ensure there is a clear record trail to show where money is going when dealing with foreign agents or other service providers.
Q
How does 'sole source' procurement represent a risk, and how can one qualify a legitimate sole source agreement to ensure it's not in violation of FCPA?
There is nothing inherently wrong with sole source procurement. However, the corruption risk is that a government contracting official with discretion over the procurement process may request money or something of value to convert what would otherwise be a competitive bidding process into a sole source procurement with the end result being that the company providing or offering money or something of value to the foreign official will get the contract. Obtaining (or retaining) a sole source contract is only a violation of the FCPA's anti-bribery provisions - generally speaking - to the extent a company provides or offers money or something of value (recognize that the FCPA enforcement agencies take a very broad view of this term) directly or indirectly (through a third party) to a foreign official to influence their discretion. In terms of risk management, you might want to inquire about the justification for the sole source arrangement, whether the logistics of the process are written and transparent and be particularly cognizant if a third party suggested or is otherwise involved in the negotiation or procurement process. Hope that's helpful!
Q
I have a question regarding an alternative to the scenario presented relating to obtaining or retaining business: "A global logistics manager located in the Middle East has become friendly with a senior air-cargo manager at the governmentowned and -managed airport. " What if the global logistics manager is 1) simply setting up tee time dates and not paying for anything in order to maintain good relations with the air-cargo manager? 2) What if they meet up for tee time a few times and the logistics manager pays for the air-cargo manager's lunches for those several times (ex: 3 times over 3 months)? Would these also be considered risky situations?
Both of your scenarios remain risky. At certain golf courses, tee times are difficult to obtain or may be limited to members only. Thus, the simple act of securing a tee time may be viewed as something of value to the "foreign official" and in your scenario you note that this is being done to "maintain good relations" with the individual. In the second scenario, something of value is still being provided to the "foreign official" in the form of lunch. This element has no de minimis exception and it is difficult to see how this might qualify under the FCPA's affirmative defense for reasonable and bona fide expenses directly related to a business purpose. Hope this provides some clarity.
Q
My 3rd party vendor gave me a gift, a necklace, when we met for dinner at a conference. How should I handle that? I don't want to offend him.
Thanks for your question and yes, that's a bit awkward. You can address the situation a few different ways. If he tries to give you a gift a second time, you can politely decline and let him know your organization has a corporate policy that prohibits any/all gifts from vendors, partners, customers, etc. You can also choose to return the necklace based on the same rationale and explain that you asked a compliance professional and you were informed a necklace violated the corporate policy on gifts and gift giving. Of course, returning a gift is far more difficult than declining it when offered. Good luck!
Q
I was invited to a dinner following a vendor event to avoid sitting in rush hour traffic. Should I accept or could the dinner be perceived as a gift?
Typically, one moderately priced dinner would not be considered sufficient "value" to influence your professional judgment. But if you have a concern about it, you can always elect to pay for your own dinner.

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