We’re so used to hearing about corporate scandals, lawsuits, and corruption today that it's easy to assume most companies bend the rules to their benefit. But it turns out that there are plenty of businesses that are giving back to the community through volunteer work, promoting ethical business standards, and being transparent about their corporate practices.In an effort to honor those companies that are leading their industries in compliance, corporate governance, and social responsibility, the Ethisphere Institute released its eighth annual list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.
Thousands of companies from around the globe were nominated for this year’s list. A total of 144 companies were ultimately selected, representing 41 industries in 22 countries.
To compile the list, Ethisphere, an independent research center that promotes best practices in corporate ethics and compliance, issued a survey with a series of multiple-choice questions that were intended to “capture a company’s performance in an objective, consistent, and standardized way.” Scores were then generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance programs; reputation, leadership, and innovation; governance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; and culture of ethics.
If and when a company’s score warranted further consideration, Ethisphere relied on independent research, supporting documentation, and interviews with company leadership.
“Placement on this list helps companies attract and retain key stakeholders such as employees and customers,” says Tim Erblich, CEO of the Ethisphere Institute. “This in turn helps companies drive growth and performance, especially as they expand into new markets around the world.”
The final list, which includes 21 newcomers, is not a ranking. All selected companies are equally winners.
*Here are the 144 most ethical companies in the world: *
*Company* * Country * *Category*
3M Company USA Industrial manufacturing
ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd Switzerland Energy, oil and gas
Accenture USA Business services
Adobe Systems Incorporated USA Computer software
AECOM USA Engineering and design
AES Corporation USA Energy and utilities: electric
Aflac Incorporated USA Insurance: health
All Good Organics New Zealand Food and beverage products manufacturing
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company USA Energy, oil and gas
Applied Materials, Inc. USA Electronics
Aramark USA Food service
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. USA Insurance: brokerage
Atlas Copco AB Sweden Industrial manufacturing
Autoridad del Canal de Panama USA Transportation and logistics
Avnet, Inc. USA Electronics
Banco do Brasil S.A. Brazil Banking
Baptist Health South Florida USA Healthcare services
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina USA Insurance: health
Blue Shield of California USA Insurance: health
Capgemini France Business services
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield USA Insurance: health
CBRE USA Real estate
Cementos Progreso Guatemala Industrial manufacturing
CH2M Hill USA Rngineering and design
Cisco Systems, Inc. USA Telecommunication equipment
Cleveland Clinic USA Healthcare services
Colgate-Palmolive Company USA Consumer products manufacturing
CRH plc Ireland Construction
Cummins Inc. USA Automotive
CUNA Mutual Group USA Financial services
Deere & Company USA Industrial manufacturing
Dell Inc. USA Computer hardware
Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) USA Business services
Eastman Chemical Company USA Chemicals
Eaton USA Industrial manufacturing
eBay Inc. USA Retail
Ecolab USA Chemicals
Elbit Systems of America USA Aerospace & defense
Encana Corporation Canada Energy, oil and gas
Energias de Portugal, S.A. (EDP) Portugal Energy and utilities: electric
ENMAX Corporation Canada Energy and utilities: electric
Ethical Fruit Company Ltd UK Agriculture
Express Scripts Holding Company USA Healthcare services
Fluor Corporation USA Engineering and design
Ford Motor Company USA Automotive
Gap Inc. USA Apparel
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) USA Professional, scientific and technical services
General Electric Company USA Industrial manufacturing
Google, Inc. USA Computer services
Granite Construction Inc. USA Construction
H. B. Fuller USA Chemicals
Hasbro, Inc. USA Consumer products manufacturing
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA Germany Consumer products manufacturing
Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) Sweden Apparel
Henry Schein, Inc. USA Healthcare products
Hitachi Data Systems USA Computer hardware
Holland America Line USA Leisure and hospitality
Holland America Line-Seabourn USA Leisure and hospitality
Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) USA Healthcare services
Iberdrola, S.A. Spain Energy and utilities: electric
IHCC (International Hospitals Construction Company) Saudi Arabia Construction
illycaffè spa Italy Food and beverage products manufacturing
Ingredion Incorporated USA Food and beverage products manufacturing
ING U.S. USA Financial services
Intel Corporation USA Computer hardware
International Paper USA Forestry, paper and packaging
Johnson Controls USA Industrial manufacturing
Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated USA Real estate
Juniper Networks, Inc. USA Telecommunications equipment
Kao Corporation Japan Consumer products manufacturing
Kellogg Company USA Food and beverage products manufacturing
Kennametal Inc. USA Industrial manufacturing
Kimberly-Clark Corporation USA Consumer products manufacturing
Knights of Columbus USA Insurance: life
L'ORÉAL France Health and beauty
Levi Strauss & Co. USA Apparel
ManpowerGroup USA Business services
Marks and Spencer UK Retail
Marriott International, Inc. USA Leisure and hospitality
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company USA Insurance: Life
Mattel, Inc. USA Consumer products manufacturing
Microsoft Corporation USA Computer software
Milliken & Company USA Industrial manufacturing
National Australia Bank Australia Banking
National Grid USA Energy and utilities: electric
Natura Cosméticos Brazil Consumer products manufacturing
NextEra Energy, Inc. USA Energy and utilities: electric
NiSource, Inc. USA Energy and utilites: natural gas
Noblis, Inc. USA Professional, scientific and technical services
Northern Trust Corporation USA Financial services
Northumbrian Water Group UK Energy and utlities: water
Novation, LLC USA Healthcare services
Old National Bancorp USA Banking
Parsons Corporation USA Engineering and design
Paychex, Inc. USA Business services
PepsiCo, Inc. USA Food and beverage products manufacturing
Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. USA Retail
PKN ORLEN S.A. Poland Energy, oil and gas
Premier, Inc USA Healthcare services
Premier Farnell plc UK Electronics
Realogy Holdings Corp. USA Real estate
Rockwell Automation, Inc. USA Electronics
Rockwell Collins USA Aerospace & defense
Safeway Inc. USA Retail
salesforce.com, inc. USA Computer software
Saltchuk Resources, Inc. USA Transportation and logistics
SCA, Svenska Cellulosa AB Sweden Consumer products manufacturing
Schneider Electric SA France Industrial manufacturing
Sempra Energy USA Energy and utilites: natural gas
Sharp HealthCare USA Healthcare services
Shiseido Company, Limited Japan Health and beauty
SingTel Singapore Telecommunications services
Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. Japan Insurance: property and casualty
Sonae Portugal Retail
Spectra Energy Corp. USA Energy, oil and gas: natural gas
Starbucks Coffee Company USA Retail
Swiss Re Switzerland Insurance: re-insurance
Symantec USA Computer software
TATA Power Company India Energy, oil and gas
Teachers Mutual Bank Australia Banking
Ten Thousand Villages USA Retail
Teradata Corporation USA Computer software
Texas Instruments Incorporated USA Electronics
The Aerospace Corporation USA Aerospace and defense
The Hartford Financial Services Group USA Insurance: general
The Nature Conservancy USA Environmental services
The Rezidor Hotel Group Belgium Leisure and hospitality
The Timken Company USA Industrial manufacturing
Thomson Reuters USA Professional, scientific and technical services
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans USA Financial services
Time Warner Inc. USA Media
T-Mobile USA, Inc. USA Telecommunications services
Unibail-Rodamco SE France Real estate
University Hospitals USA Healthcare services
UPS USA Transportation and logistics
Visa Inc. USA Financial services
Waste Management USA Environmental services
Westpac Banking Corporation Australia Banking
Weyerhaeuser Company USA Forestry, paper and packaging
William E. Connor & Associates Ltd. Hong Kong Consumer products manufacturing
Wipro Limited India Computer software
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation USA Insurance: health
Xerox Corporation USA Business services
Click here to see the full list and methodology.
*SEE ALSO: The 25 Companies That Pay Interns The Most*
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