After visiting the home pages of a multitude of organizations it has become apparent that

most companies or organizations have a list of values which are closely intertwined with certain

ethical behavior that the company embraces. Taking a look at M. A. Mortenson, a construction

company with offices throughout the United States, the values that the company considers

paramount to their success are Trust, Teamwork, Responsibility, Safety, Service, and

Stewardship. Those are easily accessible through the company website under the About

Mortenson section. Furthermore, at the bottom of the page, there is link which leads directly to

the companys Code of Ethics and Business Conduct document which can be viewed by anyone.

Throughout the document it is made clear that any unethical business practices by an employee

will result in reprimands based on the severity of the behavior. Additionally, by laying out the

values and principles the company upholds, the company is making sure to keep everything in

the open, and gaining the trust of any potential customers, employees, shareholders or suppliers.

The code of ethics at Mortenson appears to be both principle-based and policy-based.

Kiewit Corporation is another of the organizations which was explored. Kiewit is a

company which provides construction, engineering, and mining services. Probably the most

interesting fact about this Fortune 500 Company is that it is employee-owned. As previously

mentioned, this company has also listed a set of core values which are the sum of their business

ethics conduct People, Integrity, Excellence, and Stewardship. They put a high value on the

well-being of their people and help them grow in their ability to be successful, they conduct their

business to the highest ethical standards and take responsibility for their actions, they commit to

excellence in all matters with a focus on quality on constant improvement, and they also preserve

the companys unique culture and build a stronger organization for future generations of

employees. Kiewit also has a separate link for their own Ethics and Code of Conduct. It covers
everything from workplace conduct, business relationships with both employers and suppliers,

education and training provided to the employees, internal controls, reporting violations, all the

way to the policy statement. As with the previous company, having everything laid out is

beneficial for attracting potential customers, employees, and suppliers. Additionally, Kiewits

Code of Ethics is again a mixture of both principle and policy-based ethics. There are clear

examples of what not to do and why not to do it, as well as generalized situations in which it

would be unethical for an employee to be.

Next up under the looking glass are two large companies which produce consumer

electronics Sony and Apple. These companies, and presumably the rest of the consumer

electronics companies, dont really have a Code of Ethics which can be found on their sites.

Instead, they each have their respective values or social responsibilities. Apple clearly outlines

six major values which the company holds in the highest place Environmental Responsibility,

Supplier Responsibility, Accessibility, Privacy, Inclusion & Diversity, and Education. They want

to do the right thing for the environment, they want to do right by their suppliers, they have made

their products intuitive and easy to use, they are definitely committed to the privacy of the

consumers, they make sure their employee base is diversified, and they have pledged $100

million of teaching and learning solutions to 114 underserved schools across the country. It is

easy to see why customers, employees, shareholders and suppliers would be inclined to do

business with a company that is so conscious. If Apple did have a Code of Ethics, it would

probably be more principle-based, because it would fit the style of the company better. On the

other hand, Sony lists the following under their social responsibilities Environment,

Community Involvement, Volunteerism, Accessibility and Usability, Giving Guidelines, and

Corporate Governance. Sony is hoping to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2050, they
support a diverse set of programs within the communities in which they operate, they have a

Global Volunteer Day in which thousands of employees participate, and they seek to encourage

the creative, artistic, technical and scientific skills of tomorrows workforce. Similarly to Apple,

Sony doesnt have a Code of Ethics available, but if they did, it may be more policy-based than

principle-based just because of the way the company is structured.