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WORKING WITH A VISION 227

teamwork and communication achieve. It is also committed to sustainable fashion common
between the board and the CEO. A measuring and publishing its practice. Any company partnering
board that has a defined structure progress against sustainability with Made-by must analyze the
and a healthy culture of debate will targets and has a full-time “green ethics of every aspect of operations,
be more likely to recognize emerging guardian” to focus on improvement. from the fibers used in products to
problems and take timely, The company also has a “Conscience factory conditions for workers.
appropriate action. Team,” made up of people from Companies can also inspire
This was not the case at Enron, a across the organization, which is customers to act in a socially
company that has become one of the responsible for addressing social, conscious way: some garments
most infamous examples of environmental, and ethical issues. carry a symbol of a crossed-out
unethical leadership. The Enron Ethical companies often trash can, encouraging consumers
Corporation started as a small gas- demonstrate ethical commitment by to recycle them.
pipeline business in the US and partnering with organizations that Ethical business is also good
grew to become the nation’s can help them to improve their business. Customers are attracted to
seventh-largest publicly held standards. Ted Baker is a member of companies they can feel good about,
corporation. CEO Jeffery Skilling Made-by, a European not-for-profit more talented staff is attracted and
actively cultivated a culture that organization that strives to improve stays longer, and shareholders are
would push limits; his mantra was social and environmental conditions shielded from the type of share-price
“do it right, do it now, and do it in the fashion industry and to make falls that overtook Enron. ■
better.” But despite a clear set of
values for employees to espouse,
Ethical trading depends on more than internal business practices and
executives manipulated accounting
culture: a company’s materials, suppliers, and business partners must also
rules and disguised enormous losses be ethically sound. To aid transparency, some companies and organizations
and liabilities. Enron collapsed in publish data on aspects of their business, such as production locations,
2001; Skilling and chairman Ken Lay energy mix, recycling levels, and diversity among employees.
were tried together on 46 counts,
including money laundering, bank
fraud, insider trading, and conspiracy.

Doing the right thing
British fashion brand Ted Baker
began life as a shirt specialist in
Glasgow, Scotland, in 1988, and
now has stores in the Americas,
Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The company is known for its
irreverent designs, but in contrast
to its styling, it strives to be an
exemplar in the way it runs its
business. To make this a reality
rather than just a statement on
its website, Ted Baker strives to Energy mix Disposal of waste Employee diversity
ensure that environmental, social,
and ethical matters are integral
to its business operations, so that
employees are always in tune
with its high standards.
Ted Baker has set targets to
continuously improve the overall
sustainability of its collections, so
employees know what they have to