THE ETHICS ADVANTAGE

Grassroots
Integrity

by TOM BUBECK

_{SUMMER 2025 | THE ETHICS ADVANTAGE}

Grassroots Integrity

by TOM BUBECK | Chief Executive Officer, Ethisphere

Amid ongoing uncertainty in global markets, one principle remains constant: integrity—both as a core enterprise value and as a practical operating principle—is more important than ever. As we open the 2026 World’s Most Ethical Companies® application window, it’s encouraging to see so many organizations doubling down on ethics and integrity. Employees, customers, and investors all demand it because apart from it being the right thing to do, it’s simply good business.

Companies that make integrity central to their culture tend to be more predictable, more resilient, and better positioned for sustainable success. They become trusted partners and sound investments. In a climate where certainty itself has become a market differentiator, these qualities are important strategic advantages.

Ethics, however, can’t be mandated from a boardroom. Leadership sets the tone, but lasting integrity thrives when it becomes a grassroots movement inside a company. It’s built day by day through small, consistent acts—employees choosing to do the right thing regardless of what’s happening in the world around them. This is the kind of integrity that the World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition highlights: not performative gestures, but real, embedded values that shape how business gets done.

This dual motivation—what I often call the “blending of the missionary and the mercenary"—is what makes ethical companies so effective. They pursue integrity both because it’s morally right and because it delivers tangible economic value. You see that reflected in the application process itself. The Ethics Quotient® (EQ) questionnaire is deliberately comprehensive. It’s not enough to issue a values statement or cite a single initiative. Applicants must show how integrity is embedded across functions, decisions, and geographies, backed by proof points that reflect a lived culture rather than a top-down edict.

Top-down enforcement alone rarely endures. If integrity is treated as a compliance box to check—something employees do only to avoid punishment—then the moment oversight eases, good behavior erodes. A grassroots approach creates something sturdier. It embeds a shared sense of purpose, producing a culture that can withstand leadership transitions, industry pressures, and periods of disruption.

Critics sometimes argue that celebrating business ethics rings hollow because they see a gap between corporate and personal ethics. The two are closely related, but they operate differently. Individuals can simplify their ethical universe by avoiding people or situations they disagree with. Companies, however, must navigate diverse stakeholders, competitive pressures, and legal requirements—all while staying anchored to their principles. Ethics, at the organizational level, is the practice of reconciling those principles with a complex reality.

It’s worth remembering that companies are, at their core, collections of people. They’re not some theoretical legal entity that goes out and acts on its own. They’re people, and people make mistakes. They also have the capacity to learn, correct course, and build cultures that elevate their best instincts. When we see organizations truly committed to that process, we respond not just intellectually but emotionally. We want to work for, invest in, and partner with companies that do the right thing because it feels good and because it leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.

That is why the World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition matters. It spotlights organizations that showcase a genuine commitment to doing business the right way. It’s a reflection of their values in action. And it’s a blueprint for long-term success. ■