The extremely popular investment website, the Motley Fool, just ran a large profile about the positive ethics and governance of Sun Microsystems. This piece ran on the heels of a much-better-than-expected earning report. To excerpt…

The company just reported stellar earnings, befitting its astronomical business name, wherein management bragged a little bit about its community reputation. Ethisphere recently named Sun one of the most ethical companies in the world and showcased Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz as a leader in ethical business leadership, so I thought it timely to have a look at the boardroom, too….

The company comes across as personable and transparent, from the open-source board involvement, through the executive blogs, to the shields-down takeover defenses. Word on the street is that the corporate culture matches this openness, and that management has the trust of its employees. Speaking as a former Sun admin myself, this attitude is a far cry from the downtrodden worldview of only a few years ago, and it seems like this is the way Sun was always supposed to act but never quite could. Carry on, ladies and gentlemen.

What’s the lesson here? Good ethics is not just about attracting better employees… it also attracts media attention and investors too. Check the piece out for yourself here.