Consult Responsibly

Update: 2019-03-20

We continuously invest great efforts in demonstrating the value of professional ethics. In all our daily endeavors we foster the culture of zero tolerance for corruption. It is built through different mechanisms, like online courses that provide necessary skills and tools to understand and recognize corruption related issues and take right measures, yearly check-up through Workplace Assessment Survey (WAS), and open discussions in teams about potential risk situations and circumstances.

SDGs to which we contribute:

Key Performance Indicators:

64%of our clients have anti-corruption policies (-3)

92%of our employees are trained in anti-corruption (+7)

3.78points (out of 4) in our WAS related to no-corruption (-0.14)

83%of our employees are trained in human rights (-2)

Consulting Ethically

We were the first consultancy in Austria and Croatia to publish a sustainability report, and the first one to publish an interactive online version. Despite being a small company, we are recognized in our respective markets as leaders in CSR and ethical matters. 2010, we developed and published an Anti-Corruption Policy. Together with all our employees, we conducted a risk analysis for corruption in 2012, and organized internal anti-corruption trainings in the following years.

In 2018, we refreshed the online training Fight Against Corruption, we have previously used. Most of the team members (92%) went through six online learning modules dedicated to gifts and hospitality, facilitation payments, use of intermediaries and lobbyists and corruption and social investments.

We also monitor how many of our clients have ant-corruption policy. Unlike in 2017, when 69% of our clients had anti-corruption policy, in 2018 this percentage slightly fell to 64%.

Results of WAS 2018 indicates that our employee’s confidence that no company member is involved in kind of corruptive behavior remained as high as in previous years, with the score of 3.78 out of maximum 4.

In Q4 we became member of ICC Croatia. Our plan is to give active contribution to different commissions in 2019, particularly to give rise to activities of the Corporate Responsibility and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Influencing Our Stakeholders

Our focus on professional ethics also encompasses human rights protection in the H&P’s key areas of influence: employee rights and freedom from discrimination, freedom of expression and media freedom, and children rights, as identified in 2011. In all these areas we marked the highest respect for human rights and also promoted the protection of human rights in the domains of our influence. Besides, for years we have provided pro-bono support to “Brave telephone” center, a helpline for children and parents in distress, the leading helpline in Croatia providing assistance to children whose human rights are endangered and parents who need advice.

Since fake news are gaining considerable attention due to their influence on democratic processes and PR/media professions alike, at the end of the year we organized a training in human rights focusing on fake news awareness and ways of management. The course was performed online and is a content powered by UNESCO with modules on why trust matters, how to think critically about digital technology and social platforms as channels of the information disorder, how to fight back against disinformation and misinformation through media and information literacy, fact-checking 101 and social media verification and combatting online abuse. Our goal for 2019 is to continue trainings in areas related to disinformation and false news, as well as deep fake videos.

We also invest resources and knowledge to contribute to strengthening of professional ethics in PR community. It is sort of the H&P’s trademark that we contribute to the work of professional bodies, openly address ethical shortcomings and offer solutions for their overcoming. Andreja Pavlović in her role of the President of the Ethics Council of the Croatian Public Relations Association initiated and carried out two scientific researches: State of PR profession in public administration and local self-government and Ethics Education in Public Relations in Higher Education Institutions in Croatia: Situation and Perspectives. The goal for 2019 is to prepare paper for the EUPRERA annual congress which will take place in Zagreb and present the results of the research Public Relations in Higher Education Institutions in Croatia: Situation and Perspectives in the academic and PR community.

The results of the second research were presented on the panel Ethic or pathetic, the question is now? and discussed by panel participants at KOMferencija (the Croatian Public Relations Association communication conference) on 6 December 2018. University and other high school professors identified critical thinking and fake news as two most critical ethical challenges until 2020. Follow ability to distinguish between credible and incredible content and blurring of boundaries between native advertising and editorial content, as well as readiness of PR profession for critical self-examination and recognizing and managing conflict of interest. On behalf of Ethics Council Andreja Pavlović also presented these during the conference Where are young voters that was organized by the European Parliament Office in the Republic of Croatia on 30 November 2018. She also moderated discussion with students on possible solutions for fake news.

Goals:

Give rise to anti-corruption activities of the ICC Croatia
Organize relevant trainings in human rights
Advance professional ethics in the academic and PR community

What do our stakeholders say?

“Working with Hauska & Partner our communication became much more open and closer to our clients, and increased their understanding what we are doing and why.“

Balázs Békeffy, OTP banka Hrvatska, President of the Management Board

“Hauska & Partner is our partner for years now. They provide us with consultations in PR and campaigns, educations and training of our employees, joint round tables and individual consultation. We are very grateful for their help as all of their services for us are a part of their corporate volunteering.“

Hana Hrpka, President of NGO Brave Phone

“Executive Group has been a proud partner with Hauska for number of years. We feel a strong match between our two companies, and whenever we need to work in Croatia we turn to H&P for help. The reason is not only an excellent service provided by H&P consultants and experts but moreover the approach to work and professional values exuded by this team in everything they do. We feel they contribute strongly to promoting sustainable and responsible business practices by upholding strong work ethics and professional integrity that we appreciate immensely.”

Sanja Milaković Kolundžija, Executive, Principal