Ethical statements have become commonplace in todays world. As the general public becomes ever more sceptical of the ability of corporations to operate in an ethical manner, these statements often serve to reassure a wary public. In fact, A Gallup Poll conducted last year found that an astonishing 90 percent of Americans said corporate leaders could not be trusted to look after their employees, and 43 percent said senior executives were in it only for themselves. (Schramm, 2003) As such it is important to discuss if these statements are successful in accomplishing their goals, what would occur if they were not followed, and how they possibly can be improved. In particular, this paper will discuss these aspects of Exide Technologies Code of Ethics statement.