JESS MCALLEN , The Nation; The Dubious Ethics of “the World’s Most Ethical Companies”
"Ethisphere, a for-profit institution started in 2006, which describes itself as a tool to “accelerate ethical business,” has expanded significantly since its creation. In addition to producing its yearly list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, Ethisphere hosts a podcast (Ethicast), a newsletter (“Ethisphere Insights”), and runs the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, which allows members to access a “concierge” service where business executives can ponder ethical quandaries (“How do I measure and assess third-party risk?”) There is also a Global Ethics Summit, which occurs in tandem with the honoree gala. “It becomes evermore necessary to have a discussion about ethics,” the 2024 summit agenda reads, “and how we can maintain morality in our world.” Both nonprofits and for-profit companies can apply, with the exception of NGOs, government agencies, and nonprofit colleges and universities...
Some of this year’s honorees include...
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) was awarded for the sixth time, despite being ordered to pay the federal government $8.5 million last year in a lawsuit over falsely billing federal programs, as well as jeopardizing patient health. In January of this year, a nurse filed a lawsuit against the hospital for the UPMC’s unfair business practices."
