Apple, Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP Inc., LinkedIn and Western Digital were named the most ethical companies in tech on the Ethisphere Institute's 2022 Most Ethical Companies list .
A total of 136 organisations were recognised, with recipients spanning 22 countries and 45 industries, including 14 first-time recipients and 6 organisations that have been listed 16 times. This is the first time Apple has been named one of the most ethical tech companies in the field, while Dell has been honored for the 10th time since the award was established in 2006.
In telecommunications, only AT&T was selected for the third time. In the software industry, Salesforce and Terada were named among the most ethical companies for the 13th time in 16 years, and Workday was named for the third time. In the semiconductor category, ARM, Intel, Micron Technology and Onsemi were selected.
According to the Ethisphere website , the 12-member advisory committee looked at a number of factors when selecting the winning organization through 200 data points across five categories:
- Ethics and Compliance Program, 35% of the organization's overall score
- Ethical Culture, 20% of the total score
- Environmental and social impact, 20% of the total score
- Governance, 15% of the total score
- Leadership and Reputation, 10% of the overall score
Using these guidelines, the Institute evaluates these criteria through responses to the Ethics Quotient (EQ) questionnaire and supplementary submissions. When necessary, independent research and follow-up of candidates are also part of the assessment process. "A company's final Ethical Quotient score is assessed relative to its peers in the context of its structure, size and operating environment. Those companies that demonstrate the strongest application of our methodology will receive the 'World's Most Ethical' one of the companies' title."
The Ethisphere website notes that while any company can apply to be one of the most ethical companies, the award is generally reserved for larger organizations with more than $250 million in revenue. Some of the benefits for organizations on the Ethisphere list are the enjoyment of better long-term business performance, the ability to self-assess and identify gaps in company processes, and the ability to compare internal ethics processes with past winners.