Why Corporate Ethics Matter More Than Ever

The Ethisphere Institute just announced its 2018 list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, and we’re thrilled to be recognized for the seventh time. The list celebrates 135 companies across 23 countries that embrace ethical business practices and operate with purpose and integrity. This honor feels especially important in a moment when trust is making the headlines.

I was recently reading Edelman’s Trust Barometer, an annual survey about the public’s confidence in major institutions, from government to media and business. This year’s findings reflect what a lot of us are feeling—public mistrust is deep and widespread. Confidence in all kinds of institutions is eroding, including business.

That’s why I think Ethisphere’s CEO, Timothy Erblich, makes such an important point when he says that ethical business practices are more critical than ever: “While the discourse around the world changed profoundly in 2017, a stronger voice emerged,” he explains. “Global corporations operating with a common rule of law are now society’s strongest force to improve the human condition. This year we saw companies increasingly finding their voice.”

Here at Adobe, we’re sticking to, and speaking up for, the ethical principles that have guided us since our earliest years—nurturing diversity in our teams, working toward the health of our planet, and building products that elevate and amplify the creative voices in our communities.

We’re honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with so many other companies that are working to be good, and to do good, at a moment when it really matters.