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Covalence ranked them the #1 most ethical company in the world in 2011. Ranked as #1 in service by Fortune and 12th most admired. The company pumps billions per year into R&D in efforts to improve information technology that has implications for healthcare and all aspects of human development, in addition to consistently delivering solid, quality products at reasonable cost to consumers unlike some of their fruity competitors. In the past, their technology was invaluable to the Allied war effort to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
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IBM
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Honored by Ethisphere as among the most ethical companies in the world three years running for promoting ethical business practices and exceeding legal standards. Covalene recognized them for their work in green biofuels. Took steps to save employee pensions while other companies in its sector were going under. The company's founder took revolutionary unilateral steps after the Great Depression by more than doubling wages while simultaneously slashing working hours, driving up manufacturing wages all over the world and effectively creating the middle class of the Western world. His philosophy that workers should be able to afford the products they make, and have the time to enjoy them, set an unprecedented global standard. Commitment to creating high-quality affordable products ushered in an era of both local and global prosperity. Also lent invaluable assistance to the Allied war effort to defeat Hitler in spite of the company founder's commitment to peace and activism against both WW1 and WW2.
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Ford
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Repeatedly near the top of Covalence's ethical company rankings, this company pioneered new chip processing technology to minimize water use and reduce toxic emissions. The company's executives work in regular cubicles and take public transportation forgoing lavish lifestyles, and the CEO demands regular updates on employee injuries.
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Intel
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The only food and beverage company to make EthiSphere's list of most ethical companies all seven years of the list's publication, even while weathering criticisms from nutter pro-lifers. Also ranked #3 most ethical by Covalence. Being a large company that does massive business all over the globe, including being the first American product sold in the former Soviet Union, consistency could be a problem. But in 2012 the company enstated a "Global Code of Conduct" to help ensure ethical conduct of all of it employees around the world.
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PepsiCo
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This company was first recognized as among the most ethical companies in the world by Ethisphere in a year when competitors in its sector Apple, Google, and Facebook did not make the list at all. The company's founder leads a notoroiously frugal lifestyle in spite of being among the wealthiest people on Earth, and is also among the world's most generous and active philanthropists. Even after parting ways, his company continues to practice internal transparency and also donates millions to non-profits while investing more into programs for economic development around the world, and Covalence recognized them for helping advance equal human rights even in a hostile political climate.
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Microsoft
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Recognized by Ethisphere, this company has taken a strong stance on not only its own ethics but those of its suppliers, insisting on buying "fair trade" and responsibly grown coffee beans, earning the company a reputation for corporate and environmental responsibility. They've also tried to save the rainforest. Often maligned for being a big chain competing against many smaller competitors, the company continues to thrive by offering a quality, responsibly produced product in high demand with its customers as it has since its inception.
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Starbucks
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This company pays its mostly unskilled employees an average of $17 an hour, 42% more than it's closest competitor (a WalMart subsidiary). Employees pay only 8% of their own health costs on average, compared to 25% for others in similar industries. In spite of rapid growth and large revenues, the CEO has a base salary of $350,000, less than 10% of many other US CEOs. The company also welcome unionization amongst its employees, and was recognized by EthiSphere on its list of most ethical companies.
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CostCo
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One of the few companies to make EthiSphere's list seven years consecutively, in spite of being one of the largest companies in the world. This company caught considerable flak for not paying corporate income taxes in the United States, though it's usually overlooked that the reason for this was the substantial investments that the company had made into sustainable energy. The company was a founder of Transparency International, an organization that fights corruption worldwide and the impact it has on people's lives.
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General Electric Co. (GE)
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This company was named by EthiSphere as among the world's most ethical in part for its commitment to animal welfare even while being among the world's leading sellers of food products. In EthiSphere's own words, the food industry is the largest industry in the world, and (this company) has clearly stood apart in introducing healthier food fare, sustainable packaging, food safety, and ethical purchasing practices. They were also recognized by Covalence for raising wages of overseas workers, including paying Chinese employees 56% above government guidelines.
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McDonald's
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It served its original purpose very well. Oz was ranting for days. It remains to entertain and maybe enlighten... but don't take the title too seriously. I'm sure there are better companies out there.
Showing up on a quiz you haven't even taken to leave these sorts of comments seems kind of like what you were (unfairly) accusing me of...
In Ford's case, concerning their historical treatment of employees: Henry Ford almost singlehandedly created the middle class of the Western world by unilaterally more than doubling his employee's wages and simultaneously reducing working hours. His employees were among the first in the nation and the world to work an 8 hour day and 40 hour work week- something that is standard today but at the time was practically unheard of. They also were likely the highest paid workers in manufacturing jobs in the world at that time. Turnover rates at Ford plummeted, and qualified mechanics and engineers from other companies flocked to the company. This resulted in wages rising everywhere.
Concerning labor unions, it's true Ford was notoriously anti-union. This was because he felt (correctly) that corrupt union bosses sometimes did more harm than good when it came to the workers they were supposed to represent. It's true that Ford went too far to try and protect his plants from union influence. Though he never had employees beaten, that's a lie, security personnel under his employ did assault several men (union organizers, not Ford employees) who were organizing in front of the Ford plant in Dearborn.
Concerning Ford's safety record: they were among the first automotive companies to even look into passenger safety. Robert McNamara pioneered studies on making cars safer at Ford.
Anyway, among the bogus lies that Oz put on his own quiz were that Henry Ford was a Nazi sympathizer or inspired the Holocaust. This isn't true. What is true is that Ford, like a lot of people at the time, had some anti-Semitic views. He was also a bit of a conspiracy theorist who subscribed to various international banking conspiracies etc. And, back in the 40s, as remains true today, a lot of conspiracy theories like this have heavy anti-Semitic themes dating back to the Middle Ages.
It's also true that Hitler called Ford an inspiration. And in 1938 German officials awarded Ford their highest medal for foreigners - for his "humanitarian ideals" and commitment to the "cause of peace." Ford accepted the medal at a small ceremony in Michigan. It's possible, perhaps even likely, that Ford's anti-Semitic ideas contributed to his being given this award. But it's at least equally as probable that Hitler admired him simply for being the quintessential industrialist and populist that he was. His racist newspaper being a tiny side project.
Ford was a devout anti-war pacifist. He was strongly against Nazi militarism. When he learned that his old small newspaper was being used in Nazi propaganda to promote hate crimes and racist anti-Jewish legislation, he denounced it. And by the time war began, industry in Germany had been nationalized and none was under the control of Ford. (Oz spread the lie that Ford had factories in Germany producing material for the Nazi war effort) In fact, Ford produced more war material for the Allies than any other company. So this allegation is very silly.
Strictly speaking, the views held by Henry Ford have no bearing on the ethics of the present day company and therefore, it’s inclusion here is not necessarily an issue (although I’d be interested to read more about the methodology used to decide upon these 9 saintly institutions). Therefore, the great defence of the man himself is already unnecessary. Minimising the importance of his anti-Semitic views and publications, however, is egregious, especially if the impulse to do so is to gain the upper hand in the most peculiar of internet feuds with someone who appears to have disengaged from said feud long ago. You know you’re not arguing against Oz anymore by posting this apologia for a racist, he isn’t here. So who’s benefit is this for?
Anyway... pretty silly to dredge up an old thread and then point fingers at others for replying to the one who dredged it up.