Objectives and Research Methodology

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) has long been attaching great importance to business ethics and therefore has initiated the Junzi Corporation Survey, which embodied the Confucian concept of “Junzi”, since 2011. To identify the corporation with the highest ethical standard from the perspective of the public, as well as to promote the concepts of the “Five Virtues” of Junzi in business context, HSUHK has appraised the business ethical level of Hong Kong corporations through carrying out this academic study which has adopted rigorous and scientific approach in examining the corporations.

Survey Methodology

This year, the Junzi Corporation Survey Team restored face-to-face interviews as in previous surveys before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Survey Team consisted of 26 HSUHK students, who were responsible for all street interviews. The interviews were conducted during March 2023. In order to obtain a representative sample, the Survey Team randomly selected citizens of different age groups in all eighteen districts in Hong Kong. There were also several inspectors checking and monitoring the quality of survey data.

Design of Survey Questionnaire

The questionnaire of this year’s survey was developed based on previous survey questionnaires and the “Junzi Corporation” model. We included additional questions about the five virtues of “Junzi,” such that respondents could comment on the business ethics of Hong Kong corporations more accurately and specifically.

Scope of the Survey

During the one-month period of street interviews, the Survey Team successfully collected a total of 1,949 effective responses. We conducted three types of analysis, including:

  • how the general public in Hong Kong viewed the business ethics of Hong Kong corporations, as reflected in the “HSUHK Business Ethics Index,” and how the “Junzi” behavior of corporations were associated with consumers’ satisfaction;
  • how the general public in Hong Kong considered Hong Kong corporations fulfilling the five virtues of “Junzi,” including benevolence (“Ren”), righteousness (“Yi”), propriety (“Li”), wisdom (“Zhi”), and trustworthiness (“Xin”); and
  • how the general public in Hong Kong was concerned about the ethical issues of Hong Kong corporations.