Final answer:
A policy owner is essential for internal and external ethics policies to ensure accountability and bring together stakeholders for policy creation. They do not rely solely on personal knowledge or prevent changes but play a central role in drafting and enforcing ethical standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
An important reason to have a policy owner for internal and external ethics policies is that it establishes accountability within an organization. Option 2 from the student's question highlights that designating a policy owner can help to ensure there is a single person who is accountable in situations where things go awry. This is particularly vital as ethics policies often influence the culture and behavior within a workplace, affecting both internal operations and the organization's external relationships.
Moreover, a policy owner plays a crucial role in unifying diverse viewpoints as they bring together internal and external stakeholders to contribute to the development of ethics policies, as indicated in option 3. This collaboration enhances the policies' comprehensiveness and relevance, leveraging institutional knowledge and external perspectives in order to create well-rounded and effective ethics guidelines.
Lastly, while policy owners do not solely rely on personal institutional knowledge nor prevent changes over time, they are indeed integral to the processes of drafting, revising, and enforcing ethical standards in a manner that supports both the organization's and stakeholders' interests.