The Rotary Four-Way Test: A Timeless Guide to Ethics

Since Rotary’s earliest days, promoting high ethical standards has been at the heart of its mission. One of the most enduring contributions to the world of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor. At the time, Taylor was asked to rescue a company on the brink of bankruptcy. To guide the company’s employees and rebuild trust, he introduced a simple but powerful set of principles—the Four-Way Test.

This 24-word guide became the foundation for all of the company’s business dealings, from sales and production to advertising and customer relationships. Remarkably, the company’s survival and eventual success were credited largely to these core ethical principles.

Recognizing its universal value, Rotary International officially adopted The Four-Way Test in 1943. Since then, it has been translated into over 100 languages and shared around the world.

The Four-Way Test asks four simple but profound questions:

“Of the things we think, say or do:

• Is it the TRUTH?

• Is it FAIR to all concerned?

• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Today, The Four-Way Test continues to serve as a moral compass for Rotarians and countless others, encouraging ethical thinking and action in business, professional life, and everyday interactions.