Management systems

Our commitment to high ethical standards is implemented through our global policies and practices — in every aspect of our business, at every location where we operate. Corporate citizenship at ExxonMobil is integrated in the 16 policies that make up our Standards of Business Conduct. We ensure long-term sustainable performance through our management systems, which include System of Management Control Basic Standards, Controls Integrity Management System (CIMS), Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS), and Best Practices in External Affairs (BPEA).

ExxonMobil supports the ideals of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. While we are not a signatory of the Global Compact, its basic values are embedded in our Standards of Business Conduct, which govern how we operate around the world.

Standards of Business Conduct
ExxonMobil’s Standards of Business Conduct form the foundation of our commitment to the highest ethical standards and provide each ExxonMobil employee around the globe and our nonemployee directors with a common set of ethical standards. The Standards consist of guiding principles, 16 foundation policies, and open-door communication procedures. The Standards include clear guidance on ethics, gifts and entertainment, conflicts of interest, antitrust, and directorship policies. Responsibilities for authorizing, approving, and recording financial transactions are appropriately segregated to reduce risks. All payments to third parties are expected to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and our Guidelines for Payments to Third Parties.

No one at ExxonMobil has the authority to make exceptions or grant waivers with respect to the standards. Our integrity and reputation depend on our employees’ understanding of and compliance with these policies. Employees, including supervisors and managers, are subject to disciplinary action up to, and including, termination for violation of our policies. In addition, contractors who violate our policies may be denied site access.

Control systems
Business control systems are rigorously applied at our operations worldwide. Regular self-assessments and audits ensure that operating controls and standards are met by every operating unit. Our System of Management Control Basic Standards defines the basic principles, concepts, and standards that drive our business controls. Our Controls Integrity Management System provides a structured approach for assessing financial-control risks, establishing procedures for mitigating concerns, monitoring conformance with standards, and reporting results to management.

Our financial controls meet or exceed the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the NYSE listing standards. In accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley and confirmed in an independent assessment by registered auditors of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a management-issued report on internal controls over financial reporting concluded that our internal controls system is effective.

Operations Integrity Management System
Our Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) has been in place since 1992 and addresses safety, health, security, and environmental risks at our facilities worldwide. OIMS is a framework of management systems designed to identify hazards and manage associated risks. It provides a systematic, structured, and disciplined approach across our businesses and facilities worldwide and enables us to measure progress and management accountability in these areas. It also ensures that we appropriately engage with the communities in which we operate. We expect our business-line managers to comply with all OIMS requirements, from project inception to ongoing operations, and conduct OIMS assessments of our operations annually.

OIMS is embedded into day-to-day work processes to establish common worldwide expectations that every operating unit must fulfill to proactively manage risk globally. Over time, it has become a part of our culture and the way our organization works, improving operations reliability, and reducing safety, security, health, and environmental risks and impacts. OIMS is implemented over the complete life cycle of a project — from exploration and development to production and reclamation — and ensures that management is accountable for results.

Additionally, the overall effectiveness of OIMS is reviewed every five years and adjusted accordingly. As a result, OIMS has been continuously improved to include behavior-based safety, security, environmental matters, and enhanced community involvement.

In 2007, Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, Inc. (LRQA) attested again that OIMS meets the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Furthermore, LRQA recognized that OIMS also meets all the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series for health and safety management systems (OHSAS 18001).

Best Practices in External Affairs
At ExxonMobil, we are continually working to enhance the quality of our community engagement and external relations. Our Best Practices in External Affairs (BPEA) initiative is our strategic planning and management tool for global external affairs, which allows ExxonMobil affiliates to seek and practice excellence in community relationships and national content development. This tool enables ExxonMobil affiliates to optimize the impact and value of community outreach programs by managing relationships with external stakeholders through better understanding of the viewpoints and concerns of the diverse communities in which we operate. In 2007, we implemented BPEA as part of the Community Awareness element of OIMS for key facilities across our global operations.