Ethics Principles and Conflict of Interest Policy

MICHIGAN SQUASH RACQUETS ASSOCIATION

Board Statement

Ethics Principles and Conflict of Interest Policy

Those who serve MICHIGAN SQUASH, whether as volunteers or paid professionals, are held to the highest standards of conduct. As guardians of squash ideals they assume an obligation to subordinate individual interests to the interests of MICHIGAN SQUASH. What may be considered acceptable conduct in some businesses may be inappropriate in service to our sport. Those who serve MICHIGAN SQUASH must avoid any institutional loss or embarrassment and behave in such a way that the organization’s trust and public confidence are enhanced. It is important to avoid any real conflict of interest as well as the appearance of a conflict of interest. While no set of guidelines can guarantee acceptable behavior, the principles which guide behavior in this area are (i) disclosure, (ii) physical absence and (iii) non-participation in the decision making process where personal or family gain is a possibility and a commitment to honor the confidentiality of organizational information. All conduct is founded on the individual’s own sense of integrity. Any individual accepting the honor of service to MICHIGAN SQUASH must also accept the burdens of public disclosure and public scrutiny. In our complex society, the intermixture of volunteer work, business interests, governmental activity, and family relationships, inevitability create potentially conflicting interests. What is required is ready disclosure of conflicting interests whenever they arise, as well as physical absence from and strict non-participation in any evaluation or decision making process relating to matters in which the individual has a real or apparent conflict of interest.