GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 10, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Allan W. Smith of Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS), the world's largest manufacturer of office furniture, was ranked seventy-ninth in the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics listing by Ethisphere Magazine, a global publication dedicated to illuminating the important correlation between ethics and profit. The list of individuals, which appeared in the Q4 issue in December 2007, were recognized for inspiring change in business ethics.
"We are proud to have Allan Smith represent Steelcase as the only furniture company executive on this year's Business Ethics list," said James P. Hackett, president and chief executive officer, Steelcase Inc. "Under Allan's environmental leadership, we have brought to market the most Cradle-to-Cradle(sm) certified products in any industry, we established the Steelcase Environmental Partnership program which provides end-of-ownership options for customers, and we have set our sights on eliminating PVC in our products by 2012. We thank him for his leadership and the passionate work of his team and look forward to not only accomplishing more in the future as an industry leader, but encouraging others to join us as we collectively elevate business practices around the world."
A panelist of ethics experts from major universities including New York University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Delaware, and Arizona State University, among others, submitted nominations and ranked individuals who influenced ethical behavior in global business. Research was done in cooperation with analysts from the Ethisphere Institute and while hundreds of individuals were considered, ultimately only 100 made the list and are ranked in order from 1 to 100 based upon relative weightings provided by the panelists and analysts.
"These individuals deserve tremendous praise for their efforts to advance the public discourse on issues relating to business ethics," said Ethisphere Editor Stefan Linssen. "These finalists represent many different industries and organizations -- large and small, public and private -- but what unites them is an unwavering commitment to promoting ethical best practices and stimulating corporate social responsibility."
The 100 Most Influential individuals were indexed against the following nine categories:
* Government and Regulatory -- Did the individual impact government rules or enforcement trends? * Business Leadership -- Did the individual substantially transform a specific business' operational practices consistent with profitable ethical leadership, forcing competitors to follow suit or fall behind? * Non-Government Organization (NGO) -- Did the individual impact a company's (or industry's) practices through external, non- regulatory leadership either through positive collaboration or negative publicity for a positive end? * Design and Sustainability -- Did the individual substantially contribute to or lead a product or service redesign, which resulted in less natural resource use, or increased consumer acceptance of sustainability without diminishing the quality of the original product or service? * Media and Whistleblowers -- Did the individual raise awareness on a critical issue or expose corruption? * Thought Leadership -- Did the individual conceive of new approaches or otherwise materially contribute to the field of business ethics theory in a way that could be easily applied by corporate leaders? * Corporate Culture -- Did the individual show success to transforming the ethical culture and behavior of a corporation or institution, particularly if such corporation or institution previously had less than ethical culture and values system? * Investment and Research -- Did the individual impact corporate behavior through influencing investor decisions and the deployment of investment capital due to this individual's research or institutional fund management practices? * Legal and Governance -- Did the individual impact any legal cases which set the precedents in corporate compliance, or influence trends or structure in effective corporate governance for public and/or private companies?
The complete list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics will be available online at http://ethisphere.com/influential/
Thought-provoking, informative, and at times irreverent, Ethisphere Magazine offers insight to readers on gaining market share and creating sustainable competitive advantage through ethical business practices and corporate citizenship. With a circulation of 65,000 Board members, CEOs, General Counsel, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers and senior executives, Ethisphere Magazine is the largest print publication in compliance, ethics and corporate social responsibility.
About The Publisher
The research-based Ethisphere Institute and associated membership group, the Ethisphere Council, are supported by more than 100 institutions and corporations, including LexisNexis, the Practising Law Institute, the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Global Reporting Initiative, Corpedia, Deutsche Telekom, Time Warner, Avaya and Kraft. The Institute is dedicated to the research, creation, and sharing of best practices in ethics, compliance, and corporate governance among its membership companies. It also focuses on the development and advancement of individuals on its membership council through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine is the quarterly publication of the Institute. More information on membership can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.
About Steelcase Inc.
Steelcase, the global leader in the office furniture industry, helps people have a better work experience by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. The company designs and manufactures architecture, furniture and technology products. Founded in 1912 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase (NYSE:SCS) serves customers through a network of over 600 independent dealers and approximately 13,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2007 revenue was $3.1 billion. Learn more at www.steelcase.com.
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