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THE 4-WAY TEST
Of all the things we think, say or do:
1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build Goodwill and better
Friendships?
4. Will it be Beneficial to all
concerned?
One of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the world is the Rotary 4-Way Test. It was created by Rotarian Hubert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing
bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties. He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The 4-Way Test became the guide for
sales, production, advertising and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company was credited to this simple philosophy.
Herb Taylor became President of Rotary International in 1954-55. The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and had been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousand ways.
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