Page 5 - Business-Principles

managemenT PrinciPles
9. To ensure the success of our diversified group, the organizational and man- agement structure has to be based on broad entrepreneurial freedom of ac- tion for the managers and on placing the appropriate trust in all our staff.
Dealings between those employed in the Freudenberg Group must be marked by mutual respect, under- standing and trust. Individualism, with a high degree of delegated responsibil- ity, coupled with a minimum of neces- sary formalized rules, must character- ize the group’s special corporate style.
The professional advancement of its staff is a traditional concern in the Freudenberg Group, and a crucial fac- tor in its success. Special priority is accordingly attached to staff training, and to international staff exchange schemes. We grant our staff, women and men alike, equal opportunities in terms of career advancement and delegation of responsibilities in all functions.
The Freudenberg Group has social responsibilities to all its staff, both in
Germany and abroad. No one single standard can be applied here: what is needed is a flexible response attuned to the laws, customs, needs and pos- sibilities obtaining in each individual country. Discrimination and exploita- tion of the weak and helpless have no place in our company.
10. The group’s business policy requires adherence to behavioral principles with which both the partners and the staff feel able to identify:
y We, too, have to hold our own against fierce competition. Success has to come from performance; we shall not agree to any business where illegal or unethical means are utilized.
y We will not manufacture any prod- ucts intended for harming people (e.g. weapons).
y A responsible attitude to the envi- ronment and the safety of our staff are important corporate objectives, and must not be restricted to let- terof- the-law compliance with the relevant statutory requirements.
Freudenberg & Co. December 1994
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