HONG KONG, March 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- William E. Connor & Associates Ltd – the global sourcing company behind some of the biggest names in fashion and home accessories – announced today that it has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, the leading U.S. business ethics think-tank, as a 2015 World's Most Ethical Company for the fourth year running.
The Hong Kong-based company – representing many global brands – is the only sourcing organization to receive the award. Connor again secured a hard-earned spot on the list by employing and affirming good governance, transparency, and ethics at all levels of the organization. Scrupulous adherence to an anti-corruption ethos, coupled with a business model wherein revenue is derived solely from those for whom services are provided, helps ensure conflict-free, performance driven client partnerships.
"Sixty-six years ago, our founder articulated a clear and uncomplicated code of conduct: we will represent only one interest, that of our principal, and will do so transparently, ethically, and to the very best of our ability. This code remains the cornerstone of our culture today," said Chairman and CEO William E. (Chip) Connor, "Ethisphere has shed much needed light on the sometimes opaque world of global trade, and to be recognized for our contribution to common ethical goals is a true honor."
"The World's Most Ethical Companies embrace the correlation between ethical business practice and improved company performance. These companies use ethics as a means to further define their industry leadership and understand that creating an ethical culture and earning the World's Most Ethical Companies recognition involves more than just an outward facing message or a handful of senior executives saying the right thing," said Ethisphere's Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Erblich. "Earning this recognition involves the collective action of a global workforce from the top down. We congratulate everyone at Connor for this extraordinary achievement."
The World's Most Ethical Company assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute's Ethics Quotient™ (EQ) framework developed over years of research to provide a means to assess an organization's performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies, rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics. The EQ framework and methodology is determined, vetted and refined by the expert advice and insights gleaned from Ethisphere's network of thought leaders and from the World's Most Ethical Company Methodology Advisory Panel.
Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35%), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20%), culture of ethics (20%), governance (15%) and leadership, innovation and reputation (10%).
About Connor:
The Connor organization was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1949 by William E. Connor Sr., who had served as a trade attaché in the administration of General Douglas MacArthur after World War II. Now headquartered in Hong Kong, Connor employs over 1,500 professionals in more than 35 locations across 20 countries around the world representing the procurement requirements of world recognized retailers and consumer brands on four continents.
Connor does not trade, broker, or sell merchandise, focusing instead on representing clients and their global procurement needs. Connor's services include identifying markets and vendors for required product; assisting in the design and development of product; sampling; providing quality control and compliance services; and overseeing production through to shipment.
The company has made the foundation of its business that of providing top tier service with uncompromising integrity. Many client partnerships have endured for decades, in part because Connor has never strayed from their core philosophy, of uncompromised transparency, ethics, and performance.
About Ethisphere Institute:
The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with the publication of Ethisphere Magazine and The World's Most Ethical Companies Executive Briefing. Ethisphere is also the leading provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs. More information about Ethisphere can be found at http://ethisphere.com.