Businesses and Community Organizations can partner with ICBE in a variety of ways, including participating in our statewide research, conducting organizational ethics and culture assessments, hosting workshops and training, collaborating on initiatives that advance ethical leadership, or supporting ICBE’s mission through sponsorships or charitable contributions.
To learn more about partnering with ICBE, email us at center@indianabusinessethics.org.
ICBE offers practical services that help organizations understand, measure, and strengthen their ethics culture, including:
- The State of Business Ethics in Indiana – A biennial statewide research report that benchmarks ethical culture and identifies trends across Indiana.
- Organizational ethics and culture surveys – Customized assessments that provide leaders with actionable insights into their organization’s ethical culture.
- Leadership and employee surveys – Targeted feedback that helps organizations identify strengths, opportunities, and perception gaps.
- Workshops and training – Practical education for boards, leadership teams, managers, and employees focused on ethical leadership and decision-making.
- Research and consulting – Customized research, analysis, and guidance to help organizations address ethics-related challenges and strengthen workplace culture.
ICBE primarily collaborates with businesses and community organizations of all sizes across Indiana, from small and midsize companies to larger employers in every industry. We also partner with organizations that share our commitment to advancing ethical leadership, including business associations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and other community partners.
ICBE’s inaugural statewide research identified four priorities for strengthening organizational ethics culture:
- Close the perception gap by measuring ethical culture and sharing results with employees.
- Go beyond compliance by providing ethics training that prepares employees for real-world decisions, not just legal requirements.
- Put trust at the core by making it a visible, shared, and measurable organizational value.
- Strengthen safe reporting by ensuring employees understand how to report concerns and trust they can do so without fear of retaliation.
For many small and midsize businesses, ethical culture starts with leadership. ICBE helps organizations address these priorities through research, assessments, education, and coaching.
ICBE conducts statewide business ethics research every two years. The next statewide study is planned for fall 2026 and will survey approximately 1,000 Indiana employees and 500 business leaders and owners to measure changes in ethical culture across the state.
By conducting this research on a regular basis, ICBE is creating Indiana’s first long-term benchmark for business ethics. This allows us to track trends over time, compare results across industries, and provide meaningful insights that help strengthen ethical leadership across Indiana.
ICBE helps understand and measure the state of business ethics in Indiana through statewide research, organizational assessments, and ongoing data collection. We analyze trends across the state while also providing businesses with customized research and surveys to better understand and strengthen their own workplace culture. By assessing where organizations and Indiana’s business community are today, we equip leaders with the data they need to make informed decisions on areas of opportunity and track progress over time.
Four characteristics distinguish ICBE:
- An Indiana focus. We are dedicated to strengthening ethical leadership and business culture across Indiana.
- An applied approach. We focus on practical business ethics that organizations can incorporate into everyday decisions—not just textbook theory or legal compliance.
- Research and measurement. Our work is grounded in data, providing organizations with insights that help them understand and strengthen their ethical culture.
- A business perspective. We connect ethical leadership to organizational performance, recognizing that strong ethics contribute to stronger businesses, stronger communities, and a stronger Indiana.
Business ethics influences every decision an organization makes—not just the difficult ones. It shapes how leaders set priorities, how employees work together, and how organizations respond to challenges. Research has consistently shown that organizations with strong ethical cultures are better positioned to engage employees, earn trust with customers, and sustain long-term performance. That’s why business ethics isn’t separate from business strategy—it shapes how successful organizations operate every day.
ICBE visionary Frank D. Walker has been exploring the concept of business ethics since the 1990s as part of his more than 65-year career with Walker. ICBE’s other co-founder, Melissa Barnes, spent several decades leading legal, risk management, and ethics and compliance efforts, including many years at Eli Lilly and Company. Both founders have received recognition for their work advancing ethical business practices and for their philanthropic leadership.
Indiana natives, Frank and Melissa created ICBE because they recognize the importance of directly connecting business integrity to prosperity. They believe this work provides tremendous advantages for Hoosiers by helping attract business investment, support company growth, and retain top talent across the state. These advantages not only strengthen businesses but also benefit the customers and communities they serve.
ICBE provides research and insights that show where Indiana’s business ethics culture stands today and how it can continue to grow. Our inaugural research report marks the first step in a charitable, statewide effort to strengthen ethical business practices and demonstrate how integrity drives long-term prosperity—creating a model other states can learn from.
Compliance and ethics work together, but they’re not the same. Compliance focuses on meeting laws, regulations, and organizational policies. Ethics goes further by guiding the decisions people make when there isn’t a rulebook or when they face competing priorities. While compliance establishes a minimum standard of behavior, ethics helps organizations build a culture of trust, accountability, and principled decision-making.
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