LRN Report Reveals 2 In 5 Codes of Conduct for the World’s Top Publicly Traded Companies Fall Short
25.7.2023 15:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
The 2023 Code of Conduct Report released today by LRN Corporation, the leader in ethics and compliance solutions that enable organizations to inspire principled performance, reveals that a significant proportion (two in five) of the world’s top publicly traded companies have work to do to meet basic expectations for more effective codes of conduct.
Further, "speak up" culture appears deficient in most organizations, as less than two-thirds of all codes include a section on reporting misconduct and fewer than three in five have strong non-retaliation policies stated for those who do so.
The report reviewed the codes of conduct of nearly 200 of the top publicly traded companies in Asia, Europe, and North America—focusing on those listed on the major indices in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and, for the first time, Japan and Singapore.
Among the other key findings of the report include:
- Only 43% of their codes of conduct for some the world’s largest publicly traded companies were scored "effective", meaning they meet the minimum expectations, and 40% were rated as less effective, meaning they fell below the expectations of an effective code. Only 17% were found to be more effective, meaning that their codes exceeded the minimum expectations
- The codes of companies on the U.S. S&P 100 outperform those in other indexes overall, while companies listed on Singapore’s STI 30 generally have the lowest code effectiveness scores
- 64% of codes analyzed have a section on speaking up, but only 57% of codes have a strong non-retaliation policy for employees who speak up about misconduct and just 17% explain the procedure for investigation of misconduct
- Companies with more effective codes are 10x more likely to include hotline/helpline details
- Only 48% of codes extend applicability to contractors, agents, and other third parties working on behalf of the company
About LRN
LRN's mission and purpose is to inspire principled performance and help people around the world do the right thing. Since 1994, LRN has worked to propel organizations forward with the partnership, knowledge, and tools to build ethical culture. Learn more at https://lrn.com and follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230725088236/en/
Contact information
Scott Addison
LRN@infiniteglobal.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
2PointZero Group Completes Majority Acquisition in Italy-Based ISEM Packaging Group for AED 704 Million5.3.2026 23:02:00 EET | Press release
2PointZero Group PJSC (ADX: 2PointZero), a next-generation investment powerhouse focused on energy and consumer sectors, announced today that it has formally completed the transaction to acquire a majority position in ISEM, a leading European packaging group serving beauty, fashion, luxury, nutraceuticals and more, for AED 704 million through a combination of secondary and primary capital earmarked to accelerate organic and inorganic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305800523/en/ 2PointZero Group completes majority acquisition in Italy-based ISEM Packaging Group for AED 704 million (Photo: AETOSWire) 2PointZero Group now holds 60.8% of ISEM, while Peninsula Capital and minority investors own the remaining 39.2%. This marks the start of a strategic partnership between 2PointZero and Peninsula. Together, the partners will reinforce ISEM’s leadership position with a focus on category and geographic expa
Xsolla Announces Reseller Program to Help Game Developers Unlock New Revenue Streams in Local Markets5.3.2026 19:00:00 EET | Press release
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced the Xsolla Reseller Program, a new product designed to help game developers scale and capture untapped revenue in local markets with no development needed. The program launches with a curated cohort of resellers and distributors in Southeast Asia and Latin America, with expansion into additional regions throughout 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305047070/en/ Graphic: Xsolla As game developers pursue global growth, they face a fundamental infrastructure challenge: billions of dollars in revenue remain untapped in emerging, cash-dependent economies, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa, where players purchase digital content through local distribution partners. In mature digital economies, developers seek to extend their reach and distribute digital inventory at scale through more partners and chan
Xsolla Agency Launches to Empower Creators Across Entertainment-Based Intellectual Property5.3.2026 17:23:00 EET | Press release
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, today launched Xsolla Agency, a comprehensive service connecting game developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). The integrated offering addresses critical challenges for game creators: access to world-class IP, global monetization capabilities, and the operational infrastructure needed to build sustainable businesses. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305044119/en/ Graphic: Xsolla Xsolla Agency simplifies access to entertainment-based licenses through expert-led negotiations and industry relationships, offering affordable, monetization-focused deals structured for maximum ROI. Strategic IP partnerships increase discoverability, reduce user acquisition costs, and drive higher player spend through impactful LiveOps events and promotional campaigns. The service is backed by the same commerce infrastructure powering 1,500+ game developers
Onego Bio and Sigma Foods Enter Collaboration to Strengthen Egg Protein Innovation and Supply Resilience5.3.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Onego Bio, a food ingredient company producing non-animal egg protein, and Sigma Foods ("SIGMA"), a leading multinational food company, have entered into a collaboration agreement to evaluate the functionality and commercial potential of Bioalbumen®, a non-animal egg protein made with using precision fermentation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305756400/en/ The partnership focuses on advancing ingredient innovation while addressing urgent challenges in today’s egg supply chain—including volatility, rising prices, and avian flu-related disruptions. Bioalbumen® offers a shelf-stable, animal-free alternative that delivers the same functional, nutritional, and sensory performance as traditional eggs, while helping safeguard supply continuity for food manufacturers. Additionally, this collaboration supports Sigma’s commitment to offering safe, nutritious, and high-quality food, while driving science-based inno
Vertex to Present New Data on JOURNAVX ® That Demonstrates Effective Pain Management Following Aesthetic and Reconstructive Procedures5.3.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced data from a Phase 4 study of JOURNAVX® (suzetrigine), a prescription non-opioid pain signal inhibitor for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain, in adults, that demonstrated effective pain management and enabled opioid-free recovery after a broad range of plastic surgical procedures. These data showed that the majority of patients (90.9%) in the study were opioid free through the end of treatment (up to 14 days), demonstrating the potential for JOURNAVX as a core element of opioid-free multimodal treatment for moderate-to-severe acute pain after aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. In contrast, the literature shows opioid-free rates of less than 10% with multimodal treatment without JOURNAVX. These data will be presented at the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) PainConnect 2026 meeting, March 5-8, 2026, in Salt Lake City, UT. This Phase 4 open-label, multicenter, single-arm study evaluated JOURNAVX w
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom