The business case for ethics : why good guys finish first

This study puts forward a business case for ethical behaviour in organisations. Data was collected over 5 years, coming from 18 countries, 16,813 staff from 1,535 organisations participated and approximately 18% of the database is international. Organisations came from an extensive range of industry groups. Findings included that businesses perceived as successful demonstrated a strong link to ethical behaviour and also had more engaged staff. Our analysis also indicated that there is an argument for linking good leadership and good ethical behaviour. Managers should consider the importance of promoting good ethical behaviour for a successful business.