Nike, Patagonia and Zappos Earn Recognition for Ethics

Nike, Patagonia, Zappos.com and Target all received nominations for 2009's “Most Ethical Companies,” according to Ethisphere. The environmental magazine said it received a record number of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 35 industries.  Also joining the list are Becton Dickinson, the medical device company that markets the Tru-Fit brand, and Milliken, which produces textiles and other products for the sporting goods market.

This year, 99 companies made the cut. Twenty companies dropped off the list from last year, and 25 companies were newcomers. Forty four companies are “three-peats,” making the list for the past three years.

The magazine highlights how companies “encourage ethics throughout their company on a day-by-day basis.”

Over the course of the year, companies across the world submitted their applications to become 2009 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Based on these applications, as well as information Ethisphere gathered throughout the year, a list of semi-finalists was created.

At this stage, semi-finalist companies were notified and given an in-depth survey questionnaire to fill out regarding their ethics and compliance program, governance and corporate responsibility.

Ethisphere then conducted data analyses on hundreds of companies based on their responses to the survey, as well as documents and information researched and requested by Ethisphere to confirm survey responses. Every company was then given an EQ score based on the results of the survey and measured against seven distinct categories. These categories were Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility; Corporate Governance; Innovation that Contributes to the Public Well Being; Industry leadership; Executive Leadership and Tone from the Top; Legal, Regulatory and Reputation Track Record; and Internal Systems and Ethics/Compliance Program.