More than any other industry, technology companies prioritize ethical issues important to most Americans, according to a study released from Forbes and the non-profit research group Just Capital. all the big names including Nvidia, Apple, Intel, Salesforce and Alphabet made it to the top 10, with Microsoft in the first spot.
For the second year in a row, Microsoft topped the list of most ethical companies in the US, according to a poll conducted by non-profit research group Just Capital.
The study interviewed 4,000 people for their perception of America’s 1,000 most profitable companies across 29 issues that were classified under five categories: Workers, Customers, Communities, Environment and Shareholders.
Out of 52 software industries included in the poll, Microsoft came out on top along with several big names in the top ten. Amazon, which was listed as a retail company, came in at 75, while Facebook took a beating over how it treats its customers and ranked 149 overall, despite ranking on top in terms of employee pay.
The list tends to have tech and tech-related companies at the top because the issue people tell us is most important is how you treat your workforce,” said Alison Omens of Just Capital to CNN, adding that companies that are technology, and technology-adjacent, pay their employees above a living wage and give them opportunities for career advancement.”
Remaining in the top 10 for Alphabet could be challenging in the future though, since the recent discovery of Google’s Project Nightingale followed by regulators investigating the matter would likely impact the company’s public perception.
While tech dominated the list, other industries didn’t fare quite as well. Only one energy company made the list (Apache), while just a single media company (Nielsen) cracked the top 100. The top retail company was Etsy (ETSY) at 52 (Amazon was 75).
Top US banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, also continue to lag behind. JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America placed 70 and 71, respectively. The only other banking company to crack the top 100: First Horizon, which placed 87.
