The Walt Disney Company continues to be among the top “World’s Most Admired Companies,” holding the No. 4 spot on Fortune’s annual list for the third year in a row. Disney also leads the entertainment industry for 2021, the 18th consecutive year it has ranked No. 1. Fortune stated that the list represents “the companies business leaders admire the most—and are watching closely.”
According to Fortune, companies are ranked “not just on their success, but on how and where they succeed.” Disney received top marks in a significant number of areas, including the quality of its products and services, global competitiveness, people management, social responsibility and long-term investment value.
To compile the annual survey of corporate reputations, Fortune partnered with the global management consulting firm Korn Ferry. They began with 1,500 candidates that included the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue, along with non-U.S. companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database that have revenues of $10 billion or more. That list was winnowed down to 670 names that represented the highest-revenue companies in each industry. The top-rated companies were then picked from that pool of 670 by executives who work at the companies in that group. To determine the best-regarded companies in 52 industries, Korn Ferry asked executives, directors and analysts to rate enterprises in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent.
Additional details about the 2021 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list may be found on Fortune.com.