Or consider Reebok which gives out an annual Human Rights Award but sprints from one low wage country to the next, paying its Indonesian workers twenty-three cents an hour. Of the high-profile retailers, Levi Strauss has distinguished itself for at least devoting considerable resources to identifying which shops supply its suppliers, and bringing direct pressure to establish minimum wage standards and working conditions. According to Starbucks, its code has had no effect on the way its does business in Guatemala or dozens of other countries. Socially responsible business is not about a company's intentions. By that measure, Exxon is an ethical beacon for it had in place an oil spill crisis management plan for Valdez.
Ethics are a measure of character.
In the past few years, the number of US companies filing independent environmental reviews has exploded from less than a dozen to more than 300. Many companies with problematic environmental histories have made considerable changes in the way they do business. Reforms can reduce litigation expenses, lighten regulatory pressures, improve company morale, and frequently can result in considerable savings in their own right. Selling necessary products with an eye to a broader definition of stakeholder responsibilities is not politically sexy, but it can promote positive social change. It's a dangerous trend that companies promote Thoreau-like mission statements without organizational commitments to implement those ideals.