Methodology

The main output of the project is the OPEN CORPORATION ranking, through which the main stakeholders of a multinational company, in primis employees, can raise their awareness about the corporate conduct and access a set of information useful to improve participation and negotiation processes.
In contrast with the growing tendency to position TNCs (Transnational companies) in rankings based on economic, productive and market performances, the trade union ranking compares companies based on criteria which are able to interpret the communication with their attitude and their social dimension. Having a close relation with the document by the European Trade Union Federation on Corporate Responsibility (ETUC Toolkit on Corporate Social Responsability), this trade union ranking aims at enabling a synergic dialogue among the elements that take part to industrial relations and social responsibility, avoiding the contrast that usually characterizes the relation between these two thematic areas.
This model of trade union ranking is not developed upon one single synthetic indicator, but on the interaction of more thematic indicators according to a multidimensional approach, appropriate to studying working conditions. The dimensions of a thematic indicator, which by interaction will result in the synthetic indicator, are five:
  • Trade union dimension: it is composed by three thematic areas complementary to one another:
    1. Social dialogue, aimed at gathering information on the procedures of information and consultation which are active at a European and global level, the presence of transnational agreements, and the various contract levels and information and consultation bodies;
    2. Corporate social responsibility, gathering information on standard implementation, social certifications, presence of social balance / integrated balance and modalities of social reporting, extension of social responsibility policies and tools for monitoring;
    3. Work conditions present in the TNCs which are called to give information on health and safety, company training, company welfare and accessibility policies regarding the organization of events and internal meetings;
  • Financial dimension, where data on company balance is gathered, on its transparency and on the financial investment and fiscal optimization policies;
  • Diversity dimension, where we understand the company profile regarding policies in support of maternity and parenthood, equal opportunities among genders, ethnic origin, religious beliefs and food choices, and the human rights culture and policies to contrast child labor;
  • Accessibility dimension, for people with disabilities, , the objective of which is to gather information on inclusive company behaviors, instruments and policies, in favor of people with suffering from disabilities, and on the implemented tools to favor a full accessibility of the working place;
  • Environmental dimension, the aim of which is to gather information on environmental management models, on the presence of operations in sectors with strong environmental impacts, on the company commitment towards containing the use of fossil fuels, the hydric footprint, waste production and in general on the environmental footprint of workers.
These dimensions are investigated according to indicators identified by experts with specific competences in the fields of study. Principles and values on the basis of any evaluations, the legal framework and the indicators taken into account are illustrated in the toolkit 'Be Open, Be accountable'.
Together with the thematic and synthetic indicators that allow to map the repositioning of a TNC based on the five dimensions of the trade union ranking, the structure itself of the TNC data collection sheet allows to establish transparency indicators to measure the degree of openness and accessibility of information (please see Transparency Indicators).
For further information about methodology, please consult the chapter II of the Toolkit.