We're so used to hearing about corporate scandals, lawsuits, and corruption today that it's easy to assume most companies bend the rules to their benefit. But it turns out that there are plenty of businesses that are giving back to the community through volunteer work, promoting ethical business standards, and being transparent about their corporate practices.
In an effort to honor those companies that are leading their industries in compliance, corporate governance, and social responsibility, the Ethisphere Institute released its eighth annual list of the World's Most Ethical Companies.
Thousands of companies from around the globe were nominated for this year's list. A total of 144 companies were ultimately selected, representing 41 industries in 22 countries.
To compile the list, Ethisphere, an independent research center that promotes best practices in corporate ethics and compliance, issued a survey with a series of multiple-choice questions that were intended to "capture a company's performance in an objective, consistent, and standardized way." Scores were then generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance programs; reputation, leadership, and innovation; governance; corporate citizenship and responsibility; and culture of ethics.
If and when a company's score warranted further consideration, Ethisphere relied on independent research, supporting documentation, and interviews with company leadership.
"Placement on this list helps companies attract and retain key stakeholders such as employees and customers," says Tim Erblich, CEO of the Ethisphere Institute. "This in turn helps companies drive growth and performance, especially as they expand into new markets around the world."
The final list, which includes 21 newcomers, is not a ranking. All selected companies are equally winners.
Here are the 144 most ethical companies in the world:
| Company | Country | Category |
| 3M Company | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd | Switzerland | Energy, oil and gas |
| Accenture | USA | Business services |
| Adobe Systems Incorporated | USA | Computer software |
| AECOM | USA | Engineering and design |
| AES Corporation | USA | Energy and utilities: electric |
| Aflac Incorporated | USA | Insurance: health |
| All Good Organics | New Zealand | Food and beverage products manufacturing |
| Alyeska Pipeline Service Company | USA | Energy, oil and gas |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | USA | Electronics |
| Aramark | USA | Food service |
| Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | USA | Insurance: brokerage |
| Atlas Copco AB | Sweden | Industrial manufacturing |
| Autoridad del Canal de Panama | USA | Transportation and logistics |
| Avnet, Inc. | USA | Electronics |
| Banco do Brasil S.A. | Brazil | Banking |
| Baptist Health South Florida | USA | Healthcare services |
| BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina | USA | Insurance: health |
| Blue Shield of California | USA | Insurance: health |
| Capgemini | France | Business services |
| CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield | USA | Insurance: health |
| CBRE | USA | Real estate |
| Cementos Progreso | Guatemala | Industrial manufacturing |
| CH2M Hill | USA | Rngineering and design |
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | USA | Telecommunication equipment |
| Cleveland Clinic | USA | Healthcare services |
| Colgate-Palmolive Company | USA | Consumer products manufacturing |
| CRH plc | Ireland | Construction |
| Cummins Inc. | USA | Automotive |
| CUNA Mutual Group | USA | Financial services |
| Deere & Company | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| Dell Inc. | USA | Computer hardware |
| Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) | USA | Business services |
| Eastman Chemical Company | USA | Chemicals |
| Eaton | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| eBay Inc. | USA | Retail |
| Ecolab | USA | Chemicals |
| Elbit Systems of America | USA | Aerospace & defense |
| Encana Corporation | Canada | Energy, oil and gas |
| Energias de Portugal, S.A. (EDP) | Portugal | Energy and utilities: electric |
| ENMAX Corporation | Canada | Energy and utilities: electric |
| Ethical Fruit Company Ltd | UK | Agriculture |
| Express Scripts Holding Company | USA | Healthcare services |
| Fluor Corporation | USA | Engineering and design |
| Ford Motor Company | USA | Automotive |
| Gap Inc. | USA | Apparel |
| Gemological Institute of America (GIA) | USA | Professional, scientific and technical services |
| General Electric Company | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| Google, Inc. | USA | Computer services |
| Granite Construction Inc. | USA | Construction |
| H. B. Fuller | USA | Chemicals |
| Hasbro, Inc. | USA | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Henkel AG & Co. KGaA | Germany | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) | Sweden | Apparel |
| Henry Schein, Inc. | USA | Healthcare products |
| Hitachi Data Systems | USA | Computer hardware |
| Holland America Line | USA | Leisure and hospitality |
| Holland America Line-Seabourn | USA | Leisure and hospitality |
| Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) | USA | Healthcare services |
| Iberdrola, S.A. | Spain | Energy and utilities: electric |
| IHCC (International Hospitals Construction Company) | Saudi Arabia | Construction |
| illycaffè spa | Italy | Food and beverage products manufacturing |
| Ingredion Incorporated | USA | Food and beverage products manufacturing |
| ING U.S. | USA | Financial services |
| Intel Corporation | USA | Computer hardware |
| International Paper | USA | Forestry, paper and packaging |
| Johnson Controls | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated | USA | Real estate |
| Juniper Networks, Inc. | USA | Telecommunications equipment |
| Kao Corporation | Japan | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Kellogg Company | USA | Food and beverage products manufacturing |
| Kennametal Inc. | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| Kimberly-Clark Corporation | USA | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Knights of Columbus | USA | Insurance: life |
| L'ORÉAL | France | Health and beauty |
| Levi Strauss & Co. | USA | Apparel |
| ManpowerGroup | USA | Business services |
| Marks and Spencer | UK | Retail |
| Marriott International, Inc. | USA | Leisure and hospitality |
| Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company | USA | Insurance: Life |
| Mattel, Inc. | USA | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Microsoft Corporation | USA | Computer software |
| Milliken & Company | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| National Australia Bank | Australia | Banking |
| National Grid | USA | Energy and utilities: electric |
| Natura Cosméticos | Brazil | Consumer products manufacturing |
| NextEra Energy, Inc. | USA | Energy and utilities: electric |
| NiSource, Inc. | USA | Energy and utilites: natural gas |
| Noblis, Inc. | USA | Professional, scientific and technical services |
| Northern Trust Corporation | USA | Financial services |
| Northumbrian Water Group | UK | Energy and utlities: water |
| Novation, LLC | USA | Healthcare services |
| Old National Bancorp | USA | Banking |
| Parsons Corporation | USA | Engineering and design |
| Paychex, Inc. | USA | Business services |
| PepsiCo, Inc. | USA | Food and beverage products manufacturing |
| Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. | USA | Retail |
| PKN ORLEN S.A. | Poland | Energy, oil and gas |
| Premier, Inc | USA | Healthcare services |
| Premier Farnell plc | UK | Electronics |
| Realogy Holdings Corp. | USA | Real estate |
| Rockwell Automation, Inc. | USA | Electronics |
| Rockwell Collins | USA | Aerospace & defense |
| Safeway Inc. | USA | Retail |
| salesforce.com, inc. | USA | Computer software |
| Saltchuk Resources, Inc. | USA | Transportation and logistics |
| SCA, Svenska Cellulosa AB | Sweden | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Schneider Electric SA | France | Industrial manufacturing |
| Sempra Energy | USA | Energy and utilites: natural gas |
| Sharp HealthCare | USA | Healthcare services |
| Shiseido Company, Limited | Japan | Health and beauty |
| SingTel | Singapore | Telecommunications services |
| Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. | Japan | Insurance: property and casualty |
| Sonae | Portugal | Retail |
| Spectra Energy Corp. | USA | Energy, oil and gas: natural gas |
| Starbucks Coffee Company | USA | Retail |
| Swiss Re | Switzerland | Insurance: re-insurance |
| Symantec | USA | Computer software |
| TATA Power Company | India | Energy, oil and gas |
| Teachers Mutual Bank | Australia | Banking |
| Ten Thousand Villages | USA | Retail |
| Teradata Corporation | USA | Computer software |
| Texas Instruments Incorporated | USA | Electronics |
| The Aerospace Corporation | USA | Aerospace and defense |
| The Hartford Financial Services Group | USA | Insurance: general |
| The Nature Conservancy | USA | Environmental services |
| The Rezidor Hotel Group | Belgium | Leisure and hospitality |
| The Timken Company | USA | Industrial manufacturing |
| Thomson Reuters | USA | Professional, scientific and technical services |
| Thrivent Financial for Lutherans | USA | Financial services |
| Time Warner Inc. | USA | Media |
| T-Mobile USA, Inc. | USA | Telecommunications services |
| Unibail-Rodamco SE | France | Real estate |
| University Hospitals | USA | Healthcare services |
| UPS | USA | Transportation and logistics |
| Visa Inc. | USA | Financial services |
| Waste Management | USA | Environmental services |
| Westpac Banking Corporation | Australia | Banking |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | USA | Forestry, paper and packaging |
| William E. Connor & Associates Ltd. | Hong Kong | Consumer products manufacturing |
| Wipro Limited | India | Computer software |
| Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation | USA | Insurance: health |
| Xerox Corporation | USA | Business services |
Click here to see the full list and methodology.