NEW YORK — The fashion world is well represented in the ninth annual “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list from the Ethisphere Institute.
There are 132 companies covering more than 50 industries and spanning 21 countries and five continents awarded the designation. The Ethisphere Institute, which has as its mission to define and advance the standards of ethical business practices, chooses companies for their “superior achievement in transparency, integrity, ethics and compliance.”
In the apparel sector, Gap Inc., Hennes & Mauritz and Levi Strauss & Co. were designated, while in retail, Marks & Spencer was honored. Chosen in the health and beauty field were L’Oréal, Natura Cosmeticos and Shiseido Co. Milliken & Co. was awarded in the industrial manufacturing sector and William E. Connor & Associates Ltd. was tapped in sourcing services. In the area of computer services, Google Inc. was awarded, while Thomson Reuters was designated in media and publishing.
Milliken & Co., a multinational company that manufactures textiles for apparel, home and industrial uses, said being honored for the ninth consecutive year underscores its commitment to leading ethical business standards and practices and ensuring long-term value to key stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers and communities.
“As a community of innovators, our associates understand the importance of conducting business in accordance with the highest ethical standards and are inspired by the idea of bringing innovations to the market that have a positive impact on the world,” said Joe Salley, president and chief executive officer of Milliken & Co., based in Spartanburg, S.C.
The list was released in conjunction with the Ethisphere Institute’s Seventh Annual Global Ethics Summit in New York, a two-day event that began Tuesday.
“Companies today are challenged by a complex and often conflicting set of laws and regulations around the world, yet despite the lack of a global rule of law, there’s a growing commonality about how to do business the right way,” said Ethisphere ceo Timothy Erblich. “More and more, we’re finding that stakeholders from employees and customers to executives and investors understand that ethical leadership drives outcomes ranging from operational performance to corporate integrity, transparency and workforce behavior. We’re delighted to honor these companies who not only understand the various components of what makes a company ethical, but are dedicated to building an environment that makes it so.”
The World’s Most Ethical Company assessment is based on the institute’s Ethics Quotient framework that provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies that is vetted and refined by expert advice and insights from a network of thought leaders and an advisory panel.