Responsibility: Good practice goes far beyond box-ticking

By Alison Maitland

Published: December 15 2004 07:30 | Last updated: December 15 2004 07:30

What can businesses learn about raising corporate governance standards from their experience of grappling with social, environmental and ethical concerns?

Indices and rankings are heavily dependent on information that companies disclose about their performance. Providing information about governance practices might seem more straightforward than reporting on the wide range of issues covered by corporate responsibility. Best practice, as set out for example in the UK’s combined code, is clearly defined and widely accepted. By comparison, society’s expectations of companies resemble shifting sands.

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