The 10 most ethical companies in the world will show you that, although we think of every corporate giant as something vile and cold-blooded, companies of all sizes can be as ethical as any other establishment. We do have more of the bad examples than the good nowadays, but that’s what it takes to make it in the world of serious business. However, not every company has to be bad or entirely bad. They might destroy the smaller businesses and make competition everything but fair but on the other side, all the companies on our list make up for a lot by either treating their employees or the world around them specially.
In order for an establishment to be one of the most profitable, its ethical side must surely suffer; to find out which those profitable companies are, check our list of the Most Profitable Businesses. Sure, there are some companies which have spent a century or more to slowly get where they are but a lot of the world’s leading entrepreneurs want to see their effort manifest itself in a successful establishment in less than a lifetime. This often leads to unfair practices or poor employee treatment because anything other than strict, hard work is just wasting resources. However, even though some have passed through hurdles along the way or are still under fire in the public space because of something they did or do, all the companies on this list are an example of how things should be. Even science has shown that a happy employee is a productive employee. Google, the company which arbitrarily practically runs the internet has been treating its working force like every day on the job is like a visit to a theme park and look at how that paid off for them.
From full healthcare coverage to maximum sustainability, these companies’ practices are among the “most ethical in the world” in an unranked list from the Ethisphere Institute. We picked ten of them which have the best size and influence to ethics ratio.
10. Dell Inc.
Dell is quite a popular company even for people with no interest in electronics. While it hasn’t been the absolute embodiment of fair play on the market, Dell has certainly made a big effort to not leave a too damaging of an impact on the world around. Dell was the first company to establish a goal for recycling their redundant products back in 2004. Ever since, they have been strongly dedicated to reducing their impact on the environment.
9. Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks is a company that is more than well known globally. While being accused of many unfair practices related to destroying smaller competition, Starbucks have made it their cause to lessen their impact on nature too. Aside from that, every employee there gets a whole bundle of benefits including health care coverage.
8. Henkel AG & Co, KGaA
You might not recognize Henkel at first but you probably have used more than a couple of their products recently. From adhesives to cosmetics, Henkel produces a lot of the products you can find in your home right now. Aside from that, Henkel & Co. is a number one company in the sustainable development in its category. Even more, it focuses strongly on providing its employees with satisfying conditions.
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7. Illycaffè
You might be familiar with the simple red Illy logo on your espresso cup but are you familiar with their policies? This Italian company had a humble beginning but has now spread all over the world. What makes it special is that it buys its coffee straight from growers, offering them premium prices without making them sign exclusive contracts. Furthermore, Illy offers growers free education in growing coffee.
6. Schneider Electric SE
Schneider Electric is a French company with the worldwide distribution of electronic components focused on energy suppliers and industrial and home circuitry. It makes the 6th spot on our list because of their extensive diversification efforts. Nowadays, aside from having a strong sustainability program, Schneider Electric employs around 40% of its workforce from new economies.
5. Ford Motor Company
Aside from being one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, Ford is notorious for the effort of fuel efficiency and pollution decreasing efforts. They have extensive research programs in flexible fuel cars and hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Furthermore, Ford sponsors various events and facilities in different types of sports. So, it is no wonder that Ford is in the 5th place on our list of 10 most ethical companies in the world.
4. Intel
Intel is a massive company in various fields. You most probably have more than one part designed by and manufactured for Intel in whatever device you are reading this article from. Even so, Intel has one of the highest rankings in diversity not only in racial minorities but also in groups with different religious and sexual orientations.
3. Wipro Ltd
This Indian giant in IT consulting and systems integration has long been known it its country of origin for the strong sustainability and employee ethics policies it abides. Wipro has taken up being more “green” to such an extent that even Greenpeace has ranked them as one of the most eco-friendly companies.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft has been in the global public eye ever since Windows 95 rolled out. That makes more than two decades of popularity all around the world. Nowadays, the company is one of the most progressive in the world, keeping up with people’s demands and offering them the freedom of expression without being judgemental to any group.
1. Google
Google is the undeniable number one on this list of the 10 most ethical companies in the world. Google offers countless benefits to its employees of all ranks, but the biggest of them all is probably the relaxed, creativity-oriented approach they apply at their workplaces which look like something more fun than getting-things-done oriented. However, the point here is that Google tries to combine the two.
