As part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, the values that guide our decision-making are spelled out in Our Credo. Put simply, Our Credo challenges us to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve first.
The Johnson & Johnson Credo - Our Credo - was crafted in 1943 - well before people spoke of “corporate social responsibility” - by Robert Wood Johnson, a member of the Johnson & Johnson founding family and former chairman from 1932 to 1963. In short, Our Credo is the moral compass that guides our responsibilities as a citizen of the world.
We draw on Our Credo in decisions made every day at every level of the company. Our Credo is a living document and is reviewed to make sure that it meets the needs of our patients, the public, our employees, our communities in which we live and work and our stockholders. However, the spirit of the document remains the same today as it was when it was first written in 1943.
To learn more about this incredible document, please visit the Our Credo Values section on the Johnson & Johnson website.
Our Credo:
We believe our first responsibility is to the patients, doctors and nurses, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs everything we do must be of high quality. We must constantly strive to provide value, reduce our costs and maintain reasonable prices. Customers’ orders must be serviced promptly and accurately. Our business partners must have an opportunity to make a fair profit.
We are responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We must provide an inclusive work environment where each person must be considered as an individual. We must respect their diversity and dignity and recognize their merit. They must have a sense of security, fulfillment and purpose in their jobs. Compensation must be fair and adequate and working conditions clean, orderly and sage. We must support the health and well-being of our employees and help them fulfill their family and other personal responsibilities. Employees must feel free to make suggestions and complaints. There must be equal opportunity for employment, development and advancement for those qualified. We must provide highly capable leaders and their actions must be just and ethical.
We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well. We must help people be healthier by supporting better access and care in more places around the world. We must be good citizens — support good works and charities, better health and education, and bear our fair share of taxes. We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.
Our final responsibility is to our stockholders. Business must make a sound profit. We must experiment with new ideas. Research must be carried on, innovative programs developed, investments made for the future and mistakes paid for. New equipment must be purchased, new facilities provided and new products launched. Reserves must be created to provide for adverse times. When we operate according to these principles, the stockholders should realize a fair return.