Management Toolkit

Managing outsourcing with a clear conscience

Winston Chai CNETAsia

Published: 13 Dec 2004 16:50 GMT

Q: Which Asian values do you firmly believe in?
A: I believe in the Asian spirit of integrity, ethical behaviour, honesty and respect for fellow beings.

How do you apply these to your business?
Infosys is based on very strong ethics and values. We wanted to create a company that really valued people and we have done that. We believed in the principles of being ethical, fair and honest with our customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

We went through difficult times, but did not digress from our common vision. All of us believed that Infosys was bigger than any of us, and were willing to subordinate our egos and our desire for the company's good.

I think the determination to create a world-class company and the willingness to keep Infosys ahead of any individual were the characteristics that helped us in the long marathon.

We also believe firmly in the principles of corporate governance. We have adopted international accounting standard and practices, and are committed to adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency.

At Infosys, our value system can be summed up in a simple statement: The softest pillow is a clear conscience. As long as we can be fair and transparent to all our stakeholders, show long-term thinking and follow every law of the land, we have done our work well.

We also believe that corporations have an important duty to contribute to society. No corporation can sustain its progress unless it makes a difference to its context. Thus, a core value of Infosys is a strong sense of social responsibility. This translates into a commitment to help people and communities, to enhance the living conditions of the rural population, and to improve education and healthcare.