Research by the Ethisphere Institute featured on the Miller-McCune website has recently shown that the banks that are asking for money to bail them out were also the banks that have the lowest scores on measures of business ethics. In addition, the Ethisphere Institute published a list of the “2008 World’s Most Ethical Companies.” To my surprise, included on the list were Nike, Starbucks, and McDonalds – not exactly companies that would come to mind if someone asked me about ethical practices. Finally, as of late, I have also been running across a new logo:

The B Corporation is a certification that business can receive indicating that they are “a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.” In order to become certified, they must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards and institutionalize stakeholder interests (instead of just shareholder interest).
I am wondering how much you feel that these attempts to make corporations and/or businesses more ethical are legitimate or even possible given the nature of the entity? I ask because I am hoping for the best while at the same time expecting it to be more of the same bull@#$. What do you think?