Paper Example on Johnson and Johnson Code of Ethics

Introduction

Johnson and Johnson is well known global pharmaceutical product company whose headquarters is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The company has 250 subsidiary companies actively operating in more than 57 countries and product sales in over 175 countries. J&J is a fortune 500 organization and a trustworthy household name across the globe. In 2008, the company was ranked as the world's most respected organization by Barron's Magazine. It is also the first corporation to be awarded the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy by the United States Department. Johnson and Johnson's corporation has no mission statement. As an alternative, for over six decades the organization has been guided by a simple one-page document known as "Our Credo".

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"Our Credo" is a form of an ethical oath for J&J that communicates the company's mission, vision, and accountability and holds the company for a variety of groups such as nurses, doctors, patients, stockholders, local and global community (Gerard, 2018). According to the American Psychological Association a strong code of conduct is fundamental to the establishment of an ethical corporate culture. Through the ethical oath, Johnson and Johnson have positioned itself as a brand that is committed to transparency and protection to its consumers.

In the J&J website, the company's ethical oath states that; "Our Credo challenges us to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve first. Our Credo is more than just a moral compass- we believe it's a recipe for business success. As a key player in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, Johnson & Johnson understands the responsibility they have when it comes to providing safe products to their consumers, as the risks tied to faulty products within this industry are particularly sensitive."

In addition to "Our Credo", the organization also has a statement regarding inclusion and workplace diversity and how this is critical for the achievement of the company's goals and visions. Also, following the Tylenol crisis of 1982, Johnson and Johnson understand its important responsibility in the provision of safe products for its consumers. Over the past decades, the company has been ahead of the corporate social responsibility and ethics trend. J&J transparency and crisis management have established the organizations as a model.

Johnson and Johnson believe in responsibility for their employees. The company respects the dignity of its workers and recognizes their merits as well as offering job security. Employees are well and fairly compensated. The working conditions are also clean and safe. J&J encourages its employees to make complaints and suggestions. It is also considerate in ways to assist employees to fulfill their household responsibilities. Under-recruitment the company offers equal opportunities for employment, development, and advancement of the qualified candidates. The management is competent and actions are justified by ethics.

Reference

Joe Gerard (2018). Our Credo: The J&J Ethics Oath for Corporate Responsibility | i-Sight. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2018, from https://i-sight.com/resources/our-credo-j-and-j-ethics-oath/American Psychological Association. (2013). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American psychologist, 47, 1597-1411.

About Johnson & Johnson. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2018, from https://www.jnj.com/about-jnj