A for Apple

I’m an Apple fanboy. There are more Apple devices in my house than matching wine glasses.

I’m also passionate about ethics and compliance. I’ve been an E&C professional for over 15 years.

So when I learned of Apple’s new public-facing E&C site, I had to have a look. Here is what I found:

• A clean, well-organized website.
• A code of conduct and many policies available to the public.
• The code and policies are written in plain English. The anti-corruption policy, for example, explains facilitating payments in terms that my 13-year old would easily understand.
• An overview of the training, with special attention to manager responsibilities.
• A focus on dealing with third parties.
• Tools to report anonymously and a commitment not to retaliate.

Of course, a website is not the whole story. A well written code, clear policies and a helpline didn’t stop the worse corporate scandals we experienced in this century. Apple itself is not without blemish. But putting your efforts out there for the world to see is always a step in the right direction. What Apple did with this new site is a good model for anyone to follow.