Ethics

Johnson & Johnson

Wendy Pester

ETH/316

Jeffrey Codner

October 31, 2011

Johnson & Johnson is the world’s sixth largest consumer health company. They provide medical devices and diagnostics; the fifth largest biologics company and the eighth largest pharmaceutical company. Johnson & Johnson operates in 60 countries employing 116,000 diverse peoples (Johnson & Johnson, 2011).

Robert Wood Johnson established the corporate credo in 1943 defining the company’s social responsibility to the people the company serves. Either through the products developed or as employees. He also felt the company needed to be responsible to the community it was a part of by supporting charity’s, civic improvements, maintaining the property it uses, and helping to educate the community on health matter (Johnson & Johnson, 2011).

Johnson & Johnson is made up of approximately 250 different companies around the world. To maintain good business practices and the values established in the company credo, J & J has published polices to define what is expected of the company and to provide the employees with all the knowledge necessary to comply with laws and regulations while supporting ethical behavior (Johnson & Johnson, 2011). It is very important that the managers and employees understand the laws involved. Johnson & Johnson is in 60 different countries and is subject to the laws of each country in order to do business. They are also subject to huge government regulations because of the nature of their business.

As members of a global community Johnson & Johnson takes its responsibility to those communities seriously. The company participates in several efforts globally to support medical professionals and local leaders to provide education to the communities; protecting the environment, and providing access to medicines that may not be affordable.

One quarter of the women that die from complications during childbirth or pregnancy are from India. Johnson &...