Ikea honored as one of most ethical companies

Conshohocken, Pa. Ikea has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2010. This is Ikea's fourth consecutive year for this award.

"Ikea is very pleased with being recognized again as one of the world's most ethical companies," said Mike Ward, Ikea U.S. president. "We believe the strength of a company starts with a deep commitment -- not only from management -- but also from every co-worker who has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the highest standards."

Through in-depth research and a multi-step analysis, Ethisphere reviewed thousands of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries in order to determine the winners.

"Ikea's promotion of a sound ethical environment shines within its industry and shows a clear understanding that operating under the highest standards for business behavior goes beyond goodwill and 'lip-service' and is intimately linked to performance and profitability," said Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute. "This year's World's Most Ethical Companies award was more competitive than ever, because companies realize that making ethics a priority is critical amidst a tough economic environment."

Asampling of other winners include Aflac, American Express, Campbell Soup, the Ford Motor Co., General Electric, Google, L'Oreal, Nike, PepsiCo, Starbucks, T-Mobile USA, UPS, Whole Foods Market and Xerox.

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; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.