Business News
RICOH Among 2009 “WORLDS MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES”
Thursday 16. April 2009 - Award Recognizes Real and Sustained Ethical Leadership Within Various Industries
Ricoh Company, Ltd. announced today it has been named one of the 2009 Worlds Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. RICOH earned a coveted place on the list by going beyond legal minimums, introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public and forcing its competitors to follow suit by consistently upping the ante for what it takes to be an ethical leader.
RICOH is honored to be named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, validating our commitment to promoting a solid ethical environment within our corporation,” said Mariko Azuma, General Manager, CSR Office. “Our leadership is dedicated to communicating the importance of ethics as a critical part of running a business and we strive to ensure all of our employees maintain the high standards we have set for ourselves.”
This is the third year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazines Q1 issue.
Through a rigorous, multi-step evaluation process, Ethispheres researchers and analysts reviewed more than 10,000 companies in order to determine the finalists.
“RICOH has proven to be one of the world leaders in upholding high ethical standards, making it a true standout in its industry, especially as unethical business actions and decisions grab headlines each day,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. “The competition for this years Worlds Most Ethical Companies was very strong and we applaud RICOH for rising to the top. RICOH recognizes that being ethical is not only the right thing to do, it is also good business practice and leads to more successful and profitable operations.”
The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers; and working with consumer action groups for feedback. The 2009 Worlds Most Ethical Companies methodology committee, comprised of leading attorneys, government officials, professors and organization leaders, were consulted early on in the 2009 WME process and had the opportunity to review and comment on the methodology used to rate this years nominees. Ethisphere researchers further analyze information provided by the companies through questionnaires.