Recent Developments

Socially responsible behavior pays off on the bottom line. That's the conclusion of new research based on Business Ethics' 100 Best Corporate Citizens list, which shows the financial performance of these companies was "significantly better" than others in the S&P 500, according to researchers at De Paul University in Chicago. That's good news indeed for the companies on this year's list, released by Business Ethics magazine. Now in its third year, the ranking is based on quantitative measures of corporate service to seven stakeholder groups: stockholders, employees, customers, the community, the environment, overseas stakeholders, and women and minorities.

Intel has been ranked in the Top 20 since the list's inception and this year was placed at the top of the list for Leading Green Companies recognizing service to the environment. According to Business Ethics, "The cutting-edge practices of these firms offer model business strategies in areas ranging from layoffs and sweatshops to predatory lending and the environment. These firms show there are better ways to handle these issues than the ruthless practices that are too often the norm."

Statistical analysis for the list was done by Sandra Waddock and Samuel Graves of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Social ratings were provided by KLD Research & Analytics of Boston, a research firm serving socially responsible investors.

The 100 Best Corporate Citizens story will appear in the March/April issue of Business Ethics. For more information, plus full list and story, see www.Business-Ethics.com

Intel Arizona an Ethics Award Winner

The Better Business Bureau serving most of Arizona established the BBB Business Ethics Awards to recognize those firms whose business practices and related activities exemplify the BBB�s mission and principles.

Intel was recognized in the inaugural awards ceremony as one of the winners in the category of 1,000 or more employees.

A panel of judges scored companies on a set of ethical practices according to their adoption and modeling of the following criteria:

* High ethical standards of behavior toward customers, suppliers, shareholders, employees, and communities in which they do business;

* Demonstrated ethical practices surrounding their buyer/seller relationships;

* Long-standing history/reputation of ethical practices in the marketplace;

* Marketing, advertising, communications, and sales practices which reflect a true representation of what is being offered in the marketplace;

* Acknowledgment of ethical marketplace practices by industry peers and in the communities where they do business;

* Management practices and policies that give long-term value to shareholders, customers, employees, vendors, and surrounding communities;

* Training programs that assist employees in carrying out established ethics policies.