Professor Willem A. Landman, CEO, Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicSA) and Professor Extraordinaire, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Merck's commitment to ethics extends beyond the Company's boundaries. In 1995, The Merck Company Foundation entered into collaboration with the Washington-based Ethics Resource Center (ERC) to establish a series of independent ethics centers in various regions around the world. With support from The Merck Company Foundation and the ERC, The Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicSA) was established in 2000.

EthicSA promotes and advances ethical practices in South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent in the professions, business and public policy. The Institute shares best practices and case studies to motivate public and pri¬vate organizations to build cultures of in¬tegrity, beginning with the active manage¬ment of ethics.

Here is a discussion with Professor Willem A. Landman, CEO, Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicSA) and Professor Extraordinaire, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, on the value of the partnership between The Merck Company Foundation and EthicSA.

• Q: What has been the impact of the support your organization has received from The Merck Company Foundation?
• WL: Quite simply, without The Merck Company Foundation, there would have been no EthicSA. And without the Foundation's ongoing support we would have been an ordinary consultancy rather than the more inclusive ethics resource and ethics advocacy body we have become.
• Q: How has Merck Company Foundation support helped EthicSA create sustainable solutions that address critical societal needs?
• WL: When EthicSA was founded, managing ethics risks, setting up effective ethics programs, and building an ethical culture were still very underdeveloped notions in the South African business environment. The Foundation's support has enabled EthicSA to persuade companies — often through protracted processes — that these are crucial aspects of reputation management and long-term sustainability.
• Q: What is the value to your organization of your partnership with The Merck Company Foundation?
• WL: The Foundation has encouraged us and walked a long way with us. For a small organization punching well above its weight, and having to take risks in doing so, this partnership is tremendously reassuring. An important test of the greatness of a corporation is its engagement with its stakeholders in the social environment in which it is located, thus going beyond a narrow shareowner model of its responsibilities. The Merck Company Foundation is testimony to exactly such social engagement.