Global Best Moral Corporations

According to studies, almanac worlds most ethical corporations are listed by the Ethisphere
Institute. The listed corporations go beyond making declaration based on morally doing business;
they undertake the translation of the statements made into actions. The worlds most ethical
companies institute (honorees), agitates ethical practices and values within, and it also surpasses
permissible acquiescence smidgens (Boone, 2009). This assists in the determination of the future
industry values through the establishment of finest practices recently.
Basically, for a company to get a spot among the list of several other global ethical players, it has
to be clear on its ethical responsibility position right from within. Ethical responsibility generally
entails the act of just dealing with partners that offer products and services as agreed through
giving full disclosure of all important information. It is at this stage that contracts are written to
make sure that the players abide to the stipulated agreements.
In essence, ethical responsibility is related to the duty of a particular establishment to abide by
the perceived right path. Businesses bear ethical responsibilities to their clients, employees and
the society where they operate. For example, small business owners are responsible of acting
honestly towards their employees in order to influence them towards making informed decisions
based on their careers. Besides, the owners have within their power, the mandate of showing
respect to their customers, considering that clients expect to always get the equivalent of what
they pay for.
On the other hand, the proprietor is accountable for capitalizing in the public setting onto which
the security of the organization is pinned (Phillips, 2011). Another key duty is responsibility for
the environment. For reasons of public good, individual, businesses and governments have the
interest of keeping the environment healthy. This entails activities that result into the limitation
of waste and garbage, through the efficient use of energy in the reduction or mitigation of
harmful carbon dioxide emission (Boone, 2009).
Customers increasingly expect corporations to exercise good citizenship, for example, clients
who are environmentally conscious avoid throwing in their support onto businesses that are
reliant on unsustainable practices or those that emit heavy pollutants. This indicates that on top
of ethical responsibility, the morality of a company in the eyes of various stakeholders impacts
its performance and profitability. Therefore, it is important to act ethically towards building a
reputation for handling and production of goods and services in a way that is ethical and right; a
factor that will give the company an upper hand among its unique competitors (Boone, 2009).
Cisco Systems which is also among the worlds most ethical companies is committed to
achieving such ethical standards is putting into place measures, and building an ethical culture
from within its borders. The company has set up guidelines that will make sure that employees
are accorded fair treatment and behave in the most ethical way while still attached to the
company (Boone, 2009). Hence, staff members are prohibited from being offered aptitudes,

given any softeners, errand, money, perquisite, amusement or anything that has value in order to
acquire better treatment.
The constraint is extended to any household associates of both the members of staff at Cisco
Systems, and also other people with whom the companys employees have noteworthy
individual relationship with in exchange for retaining or obtaining the organizations commerce.
The ethical requirement is extended to the business relationship that staff members engage in
with other interested parties of the organization. Base on this, employees of Cisco cannot accept
initial public offering stock from the companys suppliers. They can only accept gifts given by
suppliers only when it is not intended to earn favors by the latter, do not give the impression of
bribes, kickbacks, payoffs, and irregular kind of treatment. It is stipulated that ethical behaviors
at the company should be part of the daily endeavors of all employees from the top management
downwards.
Every action by an employee should be a reflection of ethics. Therefore, each action, assignment
of even instruction that is taken has to always showcase value to the employees. Cisco is
therefore, committed to making sure that all employees are accorded fair treatment and that the
companys culture is pegged onto ethics; where people undertake their duties, behave and reason
along ethical lines. Furthermore, the company created the ethics offices where all cases regarding
ethics are reported and handled. Besides, the office is open to all inside and outside the company
through a toll free number and reverse call number for those in other nations. This is set to assist
people who are having ethical issues to report directly to the ethics office so as to facilitate
investigations.
Cisco is essentially also committed to treating customers ethically by putting into consideration
various measures. Based on this, the company and all its affiliates across the globe are dedicated
to the highest values of merchandise excellence and truthfulness in every transaction with client
and merchants. The merchants, dealers of Cisco and personnel that work with the merchants are
expected to behave in ways that are upright, just and true. The corporation holds the trust that it
is important for merchants and personnel to uphold high moral values by operating within all the
appropriate decrees.
The company expects all its suppliers to sign and return the ethics certification form as part of its
supplier qualification package. In case this is not done, the supplier is automatically disqualified.
This will make sure that all suppliers are in compliance with the ethical requirements set by the
company towards making sure that similar ethical standards are replicated from top to bottom.
Cisco requires all its suppliers to abide by the set laws, regulations and policies that are applied
in their dealing with the organization. This is watered down to all the requirements of
government contracts that are also covered in Ciscos contracts. It ensures that commerce
suppliers act on behalf of the company, and this is conducted in the most ethical manner so as to
retain the similar image that the company desires its clients to see all through its business
dealings (Gitman, 2008).
In order to retain high quality of goods and services, and information passed on to clients, Cisco
requires all its suppliers to act accordingly at all stages. Therefore, if the suppliers have
information about material, non-public information that relates to Cisco and its business, they

should not buy or take any action that will portray them as taking advantage of that information.
Therefore, they will not disseminate that information, and the same applies if the suppliers get
information pertaining to materials, and non-public information about the customers of Cisco,
they will neither buy nor take advantage of suck kind of information. This will make sure that
customers and the public always receive high quality goods and services, and information.
All the suppliers of Cisco are prohibited from taking part in unfair business practices; hence, the
suppliers will not be involved in price fixing or rigging of bids with competitors. Besides,
merchants will not assign clients or marketplaces with contenders through switching present or
forthcoming rating data. This will help Cisco in retaining its performance in the market at all
stages and therefore, ensuring that clients get the best quality products and services at all stages.
Cisco also has social environmental responsibility, which adopted the electronic industry
citizenship coalition code of conduct (EICC). The cryptograph of the EICC highlights that the
corporation operates in an environment that is just and harmless so as to give an assurance for
the protection of the personnel by preferring innocuous actions (Gitman, 2008). Through the
IECC code, the company generally ensures that all its activities are well conducted in ways that
guarantee the safety of the environment. As a result of this, all hazardous wastes are well taken
care of before being released to the environment. The company has put in place, measures
through innovation to deliver products that allow for the use of sustainable energy in order to
prevent the release of hazardous carbon dioxide and other gases into the environment.
Through these morally conscious decisions, Cisco makes a step in its operations, whereby all
operations are run in a manner that is fair and transparent. This will ensure that every employee
is satisfied and happy about the working environment with regards to treatment. This will boost
the morale and also enhance the output of employees. Besides, it will also result into the increase
in the quality of products since each employee is aware that their actions and honesty are
important. Similar standards will always trickle down to clients through suppliers and this will
assist the company in retaining its loyal customers.
The company should enhance the way it treats the environment by creating various programs
through training that are aimed at engaging employees more in making ethical decisions based
on the environment. The same has to be done in the communities around the company for the
sensitization of the people about the value of the environment. With this, the company can begin
undertaking environment projects whereby the locals are also involved so as to get the best
results.
The company should also create innovative sustainable energy products as part of its products
portfolio (Gitman, 2008). A survey should be regularly conducted, preferable on a quarterly basis
to target the customers, in order to collect their views based on ethical behaviors of its staff,
quality of products, pricing and suppliers. With this, the concerns of customers will be acted
upon and corrective measures will enable the company to retain an ethically upright image in its
products and actions.

To conclude, the most principled businesses institute in the world (honorees), has instilled moral
values and practices within its structures, and also goes beyond the allowable acquiescence
smidgens. This assists in determining the future commerce values through the creation of the
best practices recently. Basically, a company has to be very clear on its ethical responsibility
view right from within in order for it to be included in the institutes list among other global
ethical players. Generally, ethical responsibility entails the act of just dealing with partners
through the provision of products and services within the agreed standards by providing full
disclosure of all important information. It is at this stage that contracts are written so that
agreements are followed.
Thus, ethical concern is related to the duty of a particular establishment to conduct itself in line
with the requirements of the right perceived path. Companies are ethically accountable to
customers, employees and the society where they run their operations. For example, small
business owners are responsible for acting honestly to their employees so as to inspire them
towards making informed decisions based on their careers. With this, companies try to always
achieve ethical standards and activities in the businesses, not just to acquire the top spot among
the worlds most ethical companies, but to portray the correct image to the customers and society
at large.

Reference
Boone, L. (2009). Contemporary Business 2010 Update. Washington, DC: John Wiley & Sons.
Gitman, L. (2008). The Future of Business: The Essentials. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Phillips, J. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Tools for Success. New York, NY: Cengage
Learning
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