Cisco Systems Ethics

2267 Words10 Pages
Cisco Systems Compliance with Business Ethics and Law Cisco Systems Compliance with Business Ethics and Law Introduction Business ethics is crucial in business and commerce because it impacts the firm and its relationship with its shareholders and stakeholders. This paper analyses Cisco System’s ethical conduct in regards to its business as a designer and manufacturer of internet infrastructure networking equipment. It questions the company’s commitment to its ethical code of conduct by examining how Cisco has recently complied with social, ethical and legal issues within Cisco’s business environment. Background Information Cisco Systems, Inc. is a multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, CA. Their focus is designing, manufacturing and marketing networking equipment such as internet infrastructure, wireless connectivity technology, switches, routers and other advanced infrastructure systems. The company was founded in 1984 (NASDAQ: CSCO), is included in the Standard and Poor 500 Index, and in fiscal year 2012 had revenues of over $36.3 billion. Cisco’s annual report states that its mission is to shape the future of the internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for its customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners (Cisco 2012). Recently, the company has been a party in litigation regarding tax evasion, intellectual property rights, human rights abuses, antitrust suits and breaches of contract. These numerous law suits signal that there are areas where Cisco may have employed unethical business practices contrary to their Governance and Ethics values that are stated plainly on their website and in numerous corporate communications. In fact, The World Most Ethical (WME) Companies organization grouped Cisco Systems to be among the most ethical companies in the world. This recognition is based on companies
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