The 2009 World’s Most Ethical Companies.
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership group, the Ethisphere Council, is a forum for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions.
It’s not surprising then, that making it onto the World’s Most Ethical Companies list gets tougher every year.
This year Ethisphere received a record number of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 35 industries. 99 companies made the cut. Twenty companies dropped off the list from last year, and 25 companies were newcomers. A remarkable 44 companies, says Ethisphere, are “three-peats”, making the list for the past three years.
One of my favorite companies is a well-deserving first-timer. Can you guess who it is? (Answer below)
2009 World’s Most Ethical Companies Check out the site for information on methodology, and other important details on the selection process.
- Honeywell International
USA • Aerospace and Defense - The Aerospace Corporation
USA • Aerospace and Defense - Nike
USA • Apparel - Patagonia
USA • Apparel - BMW
Germany • Automotive - Cummins
USA • Automotive - Johnson Controls
USA • Automotive - Toyota Motor
Japan • Automotive - HSBC
UK • Banking - Rabobank
Netherlands • Banking - Standard Chartered Bank
UK • Banking - Westpac Banking Corporation
Australia • Banking - Accenture
Bermuda • Business Services
BELA Member - Pitney Bowes
USA • Business services - Dun & Bradstreet
USA • Business Services
BELA Member - Ecolab
USA • Chemicals
BELA Member - Dell
USA • Computer Hardware
BELA Member - Hewlett-Packard
USA • Computer Hardware - Ricoh Company
Japan • Computer Hardware - Xerox
USA • Computer Hardware - Oracle Corporation
USA • Computer Software - salesforce.com
USA • Computer Software - Symantec
USA • Computer Software - Henkel
Germany • Consumer Products - Kao
Japan • Consumer Products - Mattel
USA • Consumer Products - SC Johnson & Son
USA • Consumer Products - Unilever
Netherlands/UK • Consumer Products - General Electric
USA • Diversified Industries
BELA Member - Freescale Semiconductor
USA • Electronics & Semiconductors - Intel
USA • Electronics & Semiconductors - Texas Instruments
USA • Electronics & Semiconductors - Duke Energy
USA • Energy & Utilities - FPL Group
USA • Energy & Utilities - Sempra Energy
USA • Energy & Utilities
BELA Member - Statkraft
Norway • Energy & Utilities - Wisconsin Energy
USA • Energy & Utilities - CRH
Ireland • Engineering & Construction - Fluor
USA • Engineering & Construction
BELA Member - CH2M Hill
USA • Construction and Engineering - Holcim
Switzerland • Engineering & Construction - Waste Management
USA • Environmental Services & Equipment - American Express
USA • Financial services
BELA Member - The Hartford Financial Services
USA • Financial services
BELA Member - The Principal Financial Group
USA • Financial services - Danone
France • Food & Beverage - General Mills
USA • Food & Beverage - Kellogg Company
USA • Food & Beverage - PepsiCo
USA • Food & Beverage
BELA Member - Stonyfield Farm
USA • Food & Beverage - Sodexo
France • Food Service - Safeway
USA • Food Stores - Trader Joe’s
USA • Food Stores - International Paper
USA • Forestry, Paper & Packaging - Stora Enso
Finland • Forestry, Paper & Packaging - Svenska Cellulosa (SCA)
Sweden • Forestry, Paper & Packaging - Weyerhaeuser
USA • Forestry, Paper & Packaging - Target
USA • General Retail - Cleveland Clinic
USA • Healthcare - Johns Hopkins Hospital
USA • Healthcare - Premier
USA • Healthcare - Accor
France • Hotels, Travel & Hospitality - Marriott International
USA • Hotels, Travel & Hospitality - Caterpillar
USA • Industrial Manufacturing - Eaton Corporation
USA • Industrial Manufacturing
BELA Member - John Deere
USA • Industrial manufacturing - Milliken
USA • Industrial manufacturing EIC™ Certified - Rockwell Automation
USA • Industrial Manufacturing - Aflac
USA • Insurance - Sompo
Japan • Insurance - Swiss Re
Switzerland • Insurance - Google
USA • Internet - Zappos.com
USA • Internet - Thomson Reuters
USA/UK • Media, Publishing & Entertainment - Time Warner
USA • Media, Publishing & Entertainment - Baxter International
USA • Medical Devices - Becton Dickinson
USA • Medical Devices - Royal Philips
Netherlands • Medical Devices - Flint Hills Resources
USA • Oil & Gas - Petro-Canada
Canada • Oil & Gas - AstraZeneca
UK/Sweden • Pharma & Biotech - Novartis
Switzerland • Pharma & Biotech - Novo Nordisk
Denmark • Pharma & Biotech - Novozymes
Denmark • Pharma & Biotech - Jones Lang LaSalle
USA • Real estate
BELA Member • EIC™ Certified - McDonald’s
USA • Restaurants & Cafes
BELA Member • EIC™ Certified - Starbucks
USA • Restaurants & Cafes - Best Buy
USA • Specialty Retail - Gap
USA • Specialty Retail - IKEA
Sweden • Specialty Retail - Marks & Spencer
UK • Specialty Retail - Ten Thousand Villages
USA • Specialty Retail - Avaya
USA • Telecom Hardware BELA Member - Cisco Systems
USA • Telecom Hardware
EIC™ Certified - Harris Corporation
USA • Telecom Hardware - T-Mobile
USA • Telecom Services - Vodafone
UK • Telecom Services - Nippon Yusen Kaisha
Japan • Transportation and logistics
BELA Member - United Parcel Service
USA • Transportation and logistics
Guru’s Note: Of course I had to check out years 2007 and 2008 to see the drop-offs. One of the biggest surprises? Dole. I’ve long been a Dole fan, (see my post on Dole Organics) especially as they’re partially headquartered here on the Monterey Peninsula and I’m a sucker for my hometown. Another drop-off is Berkshire Hathaway. But a happy, and much-deserved, surprise is customer service stand-out, Zappos. Those 400+ staffers tweeting their hearts out add up to ethics galore.
Many thanks to the Hatch Network’s Claire Fontana for sharing her passion for business ethics.
