Business Ethics

Articles & Publications

Accrediting Board Endorses Stronger Focus on Ethics in Business-School Curriculums (must be subscribed to The Chronicle of Higher Education to access)

http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/01/2003010805n.htm

Have business schools done enough to raise the ethical awareness of MBA students? AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the accrediting agency of business schools in the U.S., does not think so and has proposed changes to make the teaching of business ethics a top priority. The proposal plus reactions to these recommendations are discussed in this article from the January 8, 2003 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Business Corporate Ethics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/specials/corporateethics/

Business Corporate Ethics is a special report outlining recent corporate scandals involving ethics violations compiled by the Washington Post. Breaking news features, Enron updates, WorldCom activities, accounting probes, as well as timelines and analysis are posted.

Business Ethics Newsletter

http://www.iese.edu/faculty/Etica/newsletter/

Joan Fontrodona and Roberto García Castro edit this newsletter that is affiliated with the IESE Business School at the University of Navarra (Spain). The goal of the Business Ethics Newsletter is to highlight certain stories featuring business ethics that have appeared recently in the media.

Business Ethics': Resources for Educators

http://www.business-ethics.com/For-Educators.htm

Business Ethics claims to be "the premier publication of the movement for greater social responsibility in business". The publication has been in operation for 15 years and is aimed at secondary and post-secondary level educators.

An article featured on the SocialFunds.com site discusses the top 100 companies that made the Business Ethics' Best Corporate Citizens List for 2001, and can be found at http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article832.html.

Business Schools Add Ethics in Wake of Corporate Scandals

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/hits/020816ap.htm

This Associate Press story from August 16, 2002 by Paul Singer examines the growing interest in business ethics courses by students on many college campuses. Business schools are responding to this demand by providing new ethics curriculum selections and by trying to find ways to integrate these values into current business courses.

BusinessWeek Online

http://www.businessweek.com

BusinessWeek Online allows you to search for articles dealing with ethics in business. Use their search feature to retrieve current articles covering a variety of ethical dilemmas affecting the business world including information about the Enron, Tyco and WorldCom scandals.

Chief Executive at Boeing Quits Under Criticism

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/02/business/02BOEI.html?th

The chief executive at Boeing, Philip M. Condit, announced his resignation on Monday, December 1, 2003 after much criticism and allegations of ethical violations. Harry C. Stonecipher, a former president at Boeing, was called out of retirement to take over as chief executive for the company. Details about the misconduct allegations at Boeing and what Condit's resignation means to the company are discussed in this December 2, 2003 article from The New York Times.

Corporate Ethics

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/ethics

This online special report featured on the program "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" covers some of the recent scandals that have been hitting the business world. Links to stories discussing some of the corporations affected by the controversies, online forum resources and background reports dating back to 1995 are included.

Corporate Governance Best Practices 2003

http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/default.asp

The Corporate Library, founded in 1999 by Nell Minow and Robert A. G. Monks, has developed this list of articles from sources like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Articles included address corporate issues including recent scandals. Full text access to all the resources is free, but registration may be required to view selected articles.

Do You Need an Ethics Manager?

http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16549,00.html

Start up companies may overlook one key element when trying to get their companies off the ground. Ethical issues that often arise in the workplace may result in lawsuits that will drain their budgets or government penalties. This article examines how and why many companies are starting to hire ethics managers.

Ethics Moves to the Head of the Class

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0302140374feb14,0,623998.story?coll=chi-business-hed

More and more business schools are trying to add an ethics component to their curriculum. This article from the February 14, 2003 issue of The Chicago Tribune takes a look at some of the things business schools, like Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, are doing to make sure their graduates do not get tangled in scandals like those at Enron and WorldCom.

Ethics Resource Center (ERC)

http://www.ethics.org/

An extensive list of articles dealing with business ethics and related issues can be found in the section, Organizational Ethics Articles: Business at http://www.ethics.org/resources/nr_oearticles.cfm?NavCat=Business.

Financial Scandals

http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/scandals

Financial Scandals is a site created by Roy Davies that covers some of the "greatest" scandals of all times. The site is divided into 8 sections and is designed for a broad audience, from business executives interested in business ethics issues to financial history enthusiasts.

Fortune.com

http://www.fortune.com

Fortune.com has numerous articles discussing ethics and ethical issues in the corporate world. Type "ethics" in the site's search feature to retrieve the latest articles.

House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Documents Related to Enron

http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/keywords/Enron.htm

The unfolding of the Enron scandal is documented by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Investigative reports and news releases are provided on the Committee's site.

Indictment by Justice Department Puts Arthur Anderson's Fate on Line

http://accounting-net.actg.uic.edu/Enron/Original%20Documents/Indictment%20by%20Justice%20Depa

This March 15, 2002 Wall Street Journal article outlines the history of several corporate indictments that made the news before the Arthur Anderson scandal. A discussion of the situation surrounding the Arthur Anderson case is also discussed.

Lessons from the Enron Scandal

http://www.scu.edu/Ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/nikkei.html

This is a transcript of a Q & A session between Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and Atsushi Nakayrna, a reporter for the Japanese newspaper Nikkei. The interview occurred on March 5, 2002, and it's focus was on the Enron scandal.

Additional resources on the Enron scandal can be found at the following:

BBC: The Enron Affair

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2002/enron/

CNN: The End of Enron?

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/enron/

Enron: Legal Aspects

http://www.loc.gov/law/guide/enron.html

FindLaw Special Coverage: Enron

http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/enron/

Frontline: Bigger than Enron

Case Studies

Babson Business College: Business Ethics Program

http://roger.babson.edu/ethics/index.htm

The Babson Business Ethics Program is designed to integrate ethics into businesses and business education. Numerous resources are available including the following:

Case Studies

http://roger.babson.edu/ethics/business.htm

Business Ethics: Case Studies

http://www.uvsc.edu/ethics/curriculum/business

The Center for the Study of Ethics at Utah Valley State College developed these business cases as part of their Ethics across the Curriculum seminar. Even though the cases in this section are somewhat generic in nature, they are designed to address personal and corporate ethics situations that could occur in any business environment.

BusinessEthics.ca

http://www.businessethics.ca

BusinessEthics.ca is a site created by Chris MacDonald, and it is one of the many EthicsWeb.ca (http://www.ethicsweb.ca) topic areas. Canadian and international resources including articles, case studies, and business ethics in the news reports are provided. A special collection entitled "Enron & Ethics" has recently been added to the site. The following are a few of the case studies available at this site.

e-Health and Commercial Genetic Testing

http://www.businessethics.ca/cases/ehealth-and-cgt.html

Veritas Diagnostic, a medical diagnostic company specializing in adult susceptibility testing is the subject of this ethical case study. The scenario examines whether or not services provided by this company are carried out in an ethical manner.

The Polluter's Dilemma

http://www.businessethics.ca/cases/pollutersdilemma1.html

An environmental compliance manager for a company realizes that a particular toxin that is released by her company into a local lake could be reduced if a new and costly technology were implemented by the company. Her company is not violating any federal regulations, but

local researchers question the long-term safety of having the toxin in the lake. This case study discusses what happens if the compliance manager goes forward with the new technology or if she ignores the situation.

Whistleblowing & the Environment: The Case of Avco Environmental

http://www.businessethics.ca/cases/wb-env1.html

Avco Environmental Services is a small, toxic waste disposal company. A clerk for the company discovers that some medical waste from a local hospital is being dumped in a local municipal landfill. Her immediate supervisor tells her this is not her concern. This case discusses what the clerk should do, and whether or not the dumping issue is her concern.

Carnegie Mellon: Ethics Teaching Materials

http://ba.gsia.cmu.edu/ethics/teaching.htm

This site, developed by the Center for International Corporate Responsibility, provides links to the role of ethics instruction in B-school, case studies, tutorials and business scandal articles. Academic resources, membership organization information and other ethical materials are also available.

CasePlace.org

http://www.caseplace.org

CasePlace.org is a free service for business faculty and students offered by Aspen Institute's Initiative for Social Innovation through Business (Aspen ISIB). Cases and topics for discussion are posted at this site, and the cases are searchable by topic or discipline.

Case Studies: Analyses

http://businessmajors.about.com/cs/casestudies/index.htm?once=true&iam=dpile&terms=+IT++case++st

About.com's collection of case studies is presented at this site. A few are links to sites related to business ethics or related topic areas.

E-Ethics Center

http://www.e-businessethics.com

The goal of the E-Ethics Center at Colorado State University is to "create a virtual community of organizations and individuals that share best practices in the improvement of business ethics". Much of the information found at the Center's Web site has been provided by businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies and other academic institutions. The case studies section below is an example of the resource areas found at this site.

Business Ethics Case Studies

http://www.e-businessethics.com/case.htm

Ethics Case Studies: Illinois CPA Society

http://www.icpas.org/icpas/consumer/ethics-casestudies.asp

Dr. Howard A. Kanter at the DePaul School of Accountancy and the ICPAS Ethics Committee have developed and maintained the case studies found at the Illinois CPA Society Web site. The cases presented cover areas like discreditable acts, compliance with standards, accounting principles and general standards.

Ethics Case Study Detail

http://ethics.sandiego.edu/resources/cases/HomeOverview.asp

Case studies covering a wide range of ethical issues, including this one about the Atlantic Cement Company, can be found at the Ethics Update site (http://ethics.sandiego.edu/index.html). Robert F. Ladenson, Department of Philosophy at Illinois Institute of Technology, is the author of this case. Other cases authored by Ladenson include the following:

Conflicting Interest

http://ethics.acusd.edu/resources/cases/Detail.asp?ID=6

A cement company, based in Albany, NY, operates a plant that has been emitting large

amounts of pollution as well as causing loud noises and vibrations. Residents have filed a

lawsuit hoping to stop operations until changes can be made to the plant. The fairness of the

court’s decision is the basis of this case.

Integrity in Business

http://ethics.sandiego.edu/resources/cases/Detail.asp?ID=10

Oprah Speaks Out

http://ethics.sandiego.edu/resources/cases/Detail.asp?ID=2

The Ford Pinto Case

http://www.law.wfu.edu/courses/Law&value-Palmiter/Papers/1999/Leggett-pinto.html

In May 1972, a Pinto stalled out on a Minnesota highway and was struck from behind at 28 m.p.h. After impact, the fuel tank burst into flames, killing the driver and severely injuring and disfiguring the passenger. Did Ford know about the flawed design, and if so, we're they guilty of murder? This study discusses the case that followed this 1972 incident. There are numerous versions of the Ford Pinto case, and this site merely presents one version of the scenario.

Gray Matters

http://college.hmco.com/business/ferrell/ethics/5e/students/gmatters

Gray Matters is an ethics game used by Lockheed Martin to discuss ethical dilemmas with their employees. Not all the answers to the game are clear-cut, and some sections only have partial answers.

IMA Ethics Center

http://www.imanet.org/content/About_IMA/EthicsCenter/ethic1.asp

IMA, the Institute of Management Accountants, is a non-profit organization of management accounting and financial management professionals that was founded in 1919. In 2002, IMA issued a challenge to its members to "uphold and reaffirm the highest standards of professional ethics". Ethical resources, including case studies, are provided by IMA.

Case Studies

http://www.imanet.org/content/About_IMA/EthicsCenter/CaseStudies/cases.asp

Inc.comGuide: Case Studies in Business Ethics

http://www.inc.com/personal_and_professional_growth/guides/20806.html

Editors at Inc.com select the resources found at this site. Case studies covering ethical topics such as environmental challenges, getting involved in the community and making global connections can be found in this section of their site.

Other Inc.com guides can be found at http://www.inc.com/home

Institute for Global Ethics (IGE)

http://www.globalethics.org

IGE is an organization dedicated to promoting "ethical behavior in individuals, institutions, and nations through research, public discourse, and practical action". Numerous resources and articles are provided on the IGE site. The following is an example of a section of this site containing useful materials:

Dilemma Database

http://www.globalethics.org/dilemmas/default.tmpl

Institute of Business Ethics (IBE)

http://www.ibe.org.uk/

The goal of the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) is to "encourage high standards of corporate and business behavior and the sharing of best practice." Sections of this site to note are Codes of Conduct and News/Resources. The Codes of Conduct section provide links on how to develop a code, what types of information should be included, and links to companies with codes. Latest news dealing with business ethics and links to external sites like the Caux Rountable (http://www.cauxroundtable.org/) and the Institute for Global Ethics (http://www.globalethics.org/) can be found in the News/Resources section. IBE was established in 1986 and strives to be the "leader in knowledge and practice of corporate business ethics."

Institute of Business Ethics (IBE)

http://www.open.ac.uk/business-ethics/index.htm

The development of the IBE site was a joint effort by the Open University and the Institute of Business Ethics and sponsored by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities. It is designed to be an online information center for academics and students interested in business ethics. The case study section is an example of resources found at this site.

Case Studies

http://www.open.ac.uk/business-ethics/case-studies.htm

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

http://www.scu.edu/ethics

The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics was founded in 1986 and has grown into one of the most active university applied ethics centers in the U. S. It is based at Santa Clara University and was initially funded by an endowment by Linda and A. C. "Mike" Markkula Jr. Articles, cases, briefings and dialogue in all areas of applied ethics can be found at this online center. Case studies specifically addressing the issue of business ethics can be found at:

Business Ethics: Cases

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/cases.cfm?fam=BUSI

Corporate Codes of Ethics

Baxter Healthcare: Working with Integrity

http://www.baxter.com/doingbusiness/customers/index.html

Baxter Healthcare works to create an environment that fosters the development of "conscientious ethically-minded people who are committed to integrity, honesty and fairness". The company's "Working with Integrity" document outlines global business practices standards, compliance issues, their bioethics policy & position statement on bioethics and other ethics resources.

BellSouth Office of Ethics and Compliance

http://www.ethics.bellsouth.com

BellSouth is a Fortune 100 company based in Atlanta, GA that provides communications services to commercial and residential customers. Their Office of Ethics and Compliance provides services available to all employees and stakeholders. Some of the resources provided on this site include corporate ethics training materials, self tests, ethics scenarios and a commitment booklet.

Boeing

http://www.boeing.com

Boeing has a long and diverse history, and ethics is a central component of the company's mission. The Ethics and Business Conduct Committee has been charged with the oversight of the ethics program at Boeing, and the following are some ethics resources available at their site.

Ethics and Business Conduct Program

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/ethics

The Ethics Challenge

http://active.boeing.com/companyoffices/ethicschallenge/cfm/initial.cfm

Ethics Policies and Procedures

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/ethics/epolicy.htm

Values

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/ethics/integst.htm

Cadbury Schweppes: Ethical Business Practices

http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/EN/EnvironmentSociety/EthicalTrading/

A Section of the business principles that guide employees at Cadbury Schweppes addresses ethical issues. Areas covered as part of the company's ethical practices include communications, confidentiality, conflict of interest, gifts and inside information.

ChevronTexaco

http://www.chevrontexaco.com/about/chevtex_way/

The ChevronTexaco Way, the company's ethics overview, outlines the company's vision, performance, its people, values and ways of tracking success in this area.

Codes of Ethics Online Business

http://www.iit.edu/departments/csep/PublicWWW/codes/business.html

Illinois Institute of Technology's Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions developed this online collection of codes on the Web, and it has grown out of the Center's Library of codes that resides in their vertical file. In addition to subject specific codes, like ones for business, resources for authoring a code, case studies and other information can be found at this site.

Compaq Code of Conduct

http://www.compaq.com/inside/ethics/code_conduct.html

Compaq Computer Corporation's Code of Conduct is a brief statement outlining the values the company is dedicated to upholding, which include honesty, quality, responsibility, compassion, fairness and respect.

Creating a Code of Ethics

http://www.ethicsweb.ca/codes

Chris MacDonald, PhD, Philosophy Department, St. Mary's University (Halifax, Canada) has put together this site with links to resources to assist individuals and groups in writing a code of ethics. He discusses why organizations and institutions should even have a code and provides guidance in writing one. He also provides links to essays on ethics, sample codes and contacts for ethics consultants.

MacDonald has also worked on several other ethics sites including EthicsWeb at http://www.ethicsweb.ca/.

Enron: Code of Ethics

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/enron/enron.pdf

This 62 page booklet, published in July 2000, details the values and principles subscribed to by Enron. The Code was intended to help guide Enron in "conducting the business affairs of companies in accordance with all applicable laws and in a moral and honest manner".

Hasboro, Inc: Global Business Ethics Principles

http://www.hasbro.com/pl/page.corporate_social/sec.ethics/dn/default.cfm

The goal at Hasboro is to "conduct its business at the highest ethical and business standards." Hasboro's ethics principles site addresses topics such as child labor, discrimination and compliance with applicable laws.

Hewlett-Packard (HP)

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/csr/ethics.html

This ethics page outlines the HP values, standards and guidelines for responsible conduct of business.

Honda of America Manufacturing: Compliance and Ethics

http://www.ohio.honda.com/info/ethics/index.asp

Honda's mission is to "observe the highest standard of legal compliance and business ethics through detection and prevention of corporate misconduct". The company's 24 page document, "Compliance and Ethics Business Practices Policy" details ethical issues affecting Honda including employee/associate relations, employee/customer interactions, legal regulations and working with confidential company information.

IBM: Business Conduct Guidelines

http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/guide_index.html

IBM has created a very detailed set of guidelines designed to facilitate ethical conduct within the company. This 5 section document is broken down into several sub-categories by topic.

ITT Industries: Code of Conduct

http://www.ittfluidtechnology.com/conduct/start/

This Code is designed to help employees "understand ITT Industries' standards of ethical business practices". Antitrust, conflict of interest, computer software & e-mail and workplace violence are a few of the topic areas discussed in the Code.

Johnson & Johnson: Our Credo

http://www.jnj.com/our_company/our_credo/index.htm

Johnson & Johnson is not guided by a mission statement that hangs on the wall of the corporation. Instead, a one-page "Credo" guides the actions of the company. A link to the history of the "Credo" is also available.

Lockheed Martin: Corporate Ethics

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/about/ethics.html

In addition to detailing the principles guiding Lockheed Martin, this Corporate Ethics site also provides links to their compliance training modules, external ethics sites and information outlining the company's Ethic Program, which is designed to help employees who have ethical issues.

Marathon Oil Corporation: Our Values

http://www.marathon.com/values/our_values/default.htm

The goal of Marathon Oil Corporation is to create "sustainable value growth through innovative energy solutions and unique partnerships." Information on the company's "Creating Competitive Advantage Through Business Ethics" can also be found at this site.

Microsoft: Mission & Values

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/

Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, presented the company's mission, vision and values in June 2002, and that information is provided on this site.

Motorola: Code of Business Conduct

http://www.motorola.com/code/code.html

Motorola has provided a detailed code of conduct that addresses not only the company's key beliefs and responsibilities, but also addresses guidelines for Motorolans (the name given to Motorola employees), customers, business partners, shareholders, competitors, communities and government.

Nortel Networks: Ethical Business Practices

http://www.nortelnetworks.com/corporate/community/ethics/practices.html

The Ethical Business Practices outlined by Nortel Networks addresses the core values of the company, personal values & corporate integrity, shared responsibility to uphold responsible business practices and ethical commitments.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation: Code of Business Conduct

http://www.oxy.com/pdf/conduct.pdf

This 16 page document outlines Occidental Petroleum Corporation's guidelines for administering & enforcing the Code of Business Conduct and the company's compliance requirements with applicable laws & ethical standards.

The Pampered Chef: Code of Ethics

http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_company/our_promise.html

The Pampered Chef is a member of the Direct Selling Association (DSA), and they stand behind the DSA code of ethics policy. A copy of the DSA code plus The Pampered Chef's "promise" to consumers and kitchen consultants are also outlined.

Raytheon Business Ethics & Compliance

http://www.raytheon.com/ethics/

Ethics are considered to be very important to those at Raytheon, and this Web site posted by the company's Office of Business Ethics & Compliance is designed to be a display of that commitment. Ethics booklets, standards and an ethics quick test are examples of some of the resources available at this site.

RE/MAX Apex Realty Inc.: Code of Ethics and Standards

http://www.edsamuel.com/general/ethics.shtml

The RE/MAX code addresses the company's position on issues such as duties to clients & customers, duties to the public and duties to realtors.

Rite Aid: Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

http://www.riteaid.com/company_info/images/code_of_ethics.pdf

The purpose of this 18-page code is to "reinforce and enhance Rite Aid's commitment to an ethical way of doing business." It outlines how Rite Aid puts the company's values and obligations to work. The document also addresses Rite Aid's responsibility to associates, responsibility to the corporation, competing with integrity, interacting with the government and implementing the code.

Sara Lee: Global Business Practices

http://www.saralee.com/corporate_overview/global_business.html

In September 1997, Sara Lee introduced their Global Business Practices program as a way of conveying the company's values and beliefs to their employees. Over 100 Business Practice Officers currently oversee this ethics program in every unit and department operated by Sara Lee.

ServiceMaster: Code of Conduct

http://corporate.servicemaster.com/overview_conduct.asp

The ServiceMaster Code of Conduct outlines policies, values, and regulations must be followed by every employee at the company. This 33 page document addresses topics such as responsibilities in the workplace, customer relationships and conflicts of interest.

Texas Instruments: Ethics at TI

http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/citizen/ethics/index.shtml

TI published its first formal code of ethics in 1961, and it has undergone several revisions over the years to reflect changes in the realm of business. The TI site outlines the company's ethics and values, the ethics organization at TI, ethics in the global marketplace, the TI ethics "quick test" and other ethics materials that guide the actions and operations at TI.

United Technologies Corporation (UTC): Ethics

http://www.utc.com/social/ethics/index.htm

Values and compliance are the main ethical focus at United Technologies Corporation (UTC). The UTC Code of Ethics, which is considered to be the company's fundamental document, was created in January 1990 to act as a guide for their employees worldwide.

Unocal: Code of Conduct

http://www.unocal.com/ucl_code_of_conduct/index.htm

Unocal expects all their employees to uphold the "highest standards of business and personal ethics in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities." The Unocal code addresses general standards & practices, protecting company assets, e-mail & Internet compliance, conflict of interest, confidential information, political contributions and international political neutrality.

USFilter: Code of Business Conduct

http://www.usfilter.com/water_center/PCOne.asp?wid=356

The terms and expectations detailed in the Code of Business Conduct for USFilter document the company's "firm commitment to professional and ethical business conduct".

Verizon: Code of Business Conduct

http://www22.verizon.com/about/careers/codeofconduct/

Verizon's Code of Business Conduct is entitled "Connecting through Integrity", and it is a 72 page document designed to help employees make ethical decisions during their employment with Verizon. Employees are expected to follow the guidelines addressed in this document as a condition of employment.

Weyerhaeuser: Business Conduct

http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/citizenship/businessconduct/

Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest owners and producers of softwood and hardwood lumber and lumber products in the world. The company has a "reputation for conducting business honestly and with integrity", and they expect the highest level of ethical and professional conduct from their employees. All employees receive copies of Weyerhaeuser's Code of Ethics and Business Conduct document, plus they must attend ethics training on a regular basis.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.: Corporate Values

http://www.williams-sonomainc.com/car/car_val.cfm

This brief overview outlines the values that Williams-Sonoma strives to uphold in order to help the company succeed in "enhancing the quality of life at home." The company's commitment to its people, customers, quality, shareholders and ethical sourcing are addressed.

Professional Organizations & Associations

American Finance Association (AFA)

http://www.afajof.org/default.shtml

Initial planning for the organization that is now AFA began in December 1939 in Philadelphia, PA. AFA is a professional association that deals with financial economic issues and promotes knowledge related to this area.

Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR)

http://www.aimr.com/

AIMR was formed in January 1990 as the result of a merger between the Financial Analysts Federation (FAF) and the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (ICFA). The group has over 50,000 members in over 100 countries, and AIMR expects members to uphold the highest ethical standards in their professional behavior. AIMR offers the following 3 services to its members: 1) Education through seminars and publications; 2) Professional Conduct and Ethics; and 3) Standards of Practice and Advocacy.

AIMR: Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct

http://www.aimr.com/standards/ethics/code/index.html

This section of the AIMR site is designed to provide "guidance to users as to what constitutes

fair and ethical business practices". Translations are available for this Code in 10 different

languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Hungarian.

AIMR Standards of Practice

http://www.aimr.com/standards/ethics/

Since AIMR expects members to uphold the ethical standards of the organization, they provide

an online complaint center to report members who are violating the Code.

Better Business Bureau (BBB): Promoting Fairness and Integrity in the Marketplace

http://www.bbb.org

In 1912, the very first BBB was founded, and today, this system is supported by 250,000 local business members throughout the world. The goal of the Better Business Bureau is to "promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence".

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

http://www.bsr.org

BSR, a global, non-profit organization works to "create a just and sustainable world by working with companies to promote more responsible business practices, innovation and collaboration". They strive to help members be successful and operate successful businesses while upholding the highest ethical standards of professional behavior. Links to free reports on a variety of issues plus other resources are available at this site.

The Caux Roundtable

http://www.cauxroundtable.org/default.htm

The Caux Roundtable is an organization comprised of senior business leaders from around the world, including Europe, Japan and North America. These leaders are individuals who "believe that business has a crucial role in developing and promoting equitable solutions to key global issues". One document provided on this site that serves as a guide to all businesses interested in responsible conduct is "The Principles for Business".

The Center for Ethics, Capital Markets and Political Economy

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/cecmpe/

This Center is a non-profit organization that was established in 1994. It is designed to be an arena to foster discussion and a resource center for ethics information for "persons who believe that moral concerns should be taken into account in economic and political thinking". Services provided by the Center include sponsoring a working paper series, offering seminars, publishing "Ethics behind the News" and providing other research materials.

CorpWatch: Holding Companies Accountable

http://www.corpwatch.org/

CorpWatch, formerly known as an organization called TRAC-Transnational Resource & Action Center, is a site that keeps and eye on corporations expanding into global markets and provides resources on these issues. The organization's mission is to "counter corporate-led globalization through education and activism. We work to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization--a diverse movement for human rights, labor rights and environmental justice".

Council for Ethics in Economics

http://www.businessethics.org

A controversy in the late 1970's between the Ross Division of Abbott Laboratories (Columbus, OH) and Nestlé led to the eventual development of the Council for Ethics in Economics. The respectful discussions with business, educational and religious leaders in the Columbus area that followed the onset of this issue highlighted the need for an association that emphasized the integration of ethics into the business and economics arena. The Council for Ethics in Economics was formed in response to that need.

The Defense Industry Initiative (DII) Business Ethics and Conduct

http://www.dii.org/

DII is a "consortium of U.S. defense industry contractors which subscribes to a set of principles for achieving high standards of business ethics and conduct." Links to ethics training resources plus other resources of interest can be found at this site.

Ethics Officer Association (EOA)

http://www.eoa.org

EOA was founded in 1992 and currently has over 800 members including the ethics officers from over half of the Fortune 100 companies. Resources available on the site include the 20