Reference no: EM132851451

Cisco is a U.S.-based multinational corporation that designs, sells, and manufactures networking equipment. The company's operations generated $46 billion in sales and $8 billion in net income for fiscal year 2012.1 Cisco has been named a "World's Most Ethical Company" honoree by the Ethisphere Institute for five consecutive years (2008-2012). Its Chairman and CEO John Chambers states: "A strong commitment to ethics is critical to our long-term success as a company. The message for each employee is clear: Any success that is not achieved ethically is no success at all. At Cisco, we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, and we will not tolerate anything less."

Cisco conducts numerous programs aimed at fulfilling what it sees as its corporate social responsibilities. For instance, the company provides ethics training to its over 70,000 employees, and it prides itself on providing employee benefits that foster a good work-life balance. Cisco employees are also encouraged to donate money and volunteer hours to nonprofit organizations around the world. Cisco manages energy and greenhouse emission generated by its operations. The company demands the same high standards from its more than 600 supply chain partners in regard to ethics, labor practices, health and safety, and the environment; it communicates its Code of Conduct to suppliers, monitors their compliance, and helps them improve performance. Cisco collaborates with industry groups to raise standards and build sustainability capabilities throughout its supply chain.

The company uses its core expertise in networking technology to improve both the delivery and quality of education as well as to improve health care. It also intervenes to help meet critical human needs in times of disaster by providing access to food, potable water, shelter, and other forms of relief. For example, in 2012, Cisco employees pledged $1.25 million and 12,500 volunteer hours to the Global Hunger Relief Program. Both the Cisco Foundation and Cisco Chairman Emeritus John Morgridge match employee donations, thus tripling the potential donation.