‘World’s Most Ethical Companies’
Interesting article on Greenbiz.com, discussing Ethisphere magazine’s recent release of its list of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” for 2007.
More than 5,000 companies were considered (across 30 different industries), yet fewer than 100 made the final list. I must admit to being a tad surprised by some of the finalists (more on that in a minute)!
So what exactly are the criteria for selecting the most ethical companies?
According to Ethisphere, “companies were measured in a rigorous eight-step process and then scored against nine distinct ethical leadership criteria.”
Here is a blurb from GreenBiz article:
The process included reviewing the companies’ codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating companies’ investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers; and working with consumer action groups for feedback and rating.
Researchers included editors from Ethisphere Magazine as well support from SustainAbility, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Trillium Asset Management Corporation, Winslow Management Company, ForestEthics, Women’s Equity Fund, The Center for Business Ethics, and New Alternatives Fund.
“These organizations demonstrate real and sustained ethical leadership, and realize that with this commitment comes increased competitive advantage and long-term profitability,” said Stephen Martin, editor-in-chief of Ethisphere Magazine. “They have each scored materially higher in the evaluations than their industry competitors, and set the bar on ethical leadership for other companies to either follow…or fall behind.”
As mentioned, I was quite surprised by some of the companies listed - McDonalds certainly took the cake in that department! After watching “Fast Food Nation” and Super-Size Me”, for some odd reason the word “ethical” just doesn’t come to mind when I think about McDonalds.
Clearly expecting a similar reaction from many others, Ethisphere included this blurb:
Some may ask, “How can McDonald’s be on the list?” The answer is that the food service industry is the largest industry in the world—and McDonald’s has clearly stood apart in introducing
healthier food fare, sustainable packaging, food safety, and ethical purchasing practices.
All in all, it is definitely interesting to see what companies are leading the way on the ethical front, and which ones are absent from the list (such as Walmart, despite all its green progress).
The learn more about the 8-step qualification process and see a full list of the companies selected, be sure to check out Ethisphere Magazine.
Technorati Tags: ethics, ethical business, ethisphere, green business, sustainable business, mcdonalds, nike
Written by Bentley on May 14th, 2007 with
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