The International Mark of Excellence is regulated by the International Charter Organization and rewards companies and organizations who have performed to the highest levels over the year.
The Mark comprises of an assessment undertaken by a number of organizations and a review of the company's performance, leadership candidates and employee/investor relations. Once all these factors are taken into consideration a short list is drawn up and companies on this list are awarded the accolade.
Companies that outsource vast amounts of work to developing countries, or make a large number of employees redudant have been known to harm their chances of receiving the prestigious award. Since the ICharter exists to encourage and foster good will between companies and an ethical means of doing business the Mark reflects this.
Because of the nature of the award on large enterprises (usually within the Fortune 500 listing) are considered, there are of course exceptions to this, but they tend to be few and fare between. This is perhaps the greatest draw back of the Mark, that only companies with the time and resources are able to be considered.
Small and Medium sized businesses stand a greater chance of being awarded one of the sister marks, either the International Mark of Distinction or the International Mark of Recognition.
