From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy.

This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. It asks the following four questions:

"Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Friendship
2. Business Development
3. Personal Growth and Development
4. Leadership Development
5. Citizenship in the Community
6. Continuing Education
7. Fun
8. Public Speaking Skills
9. Citizenship in the World
10. Assistance when Traveling
11. Entertainment
12. The Development of Social Skills
13. Family Programs
14. Vocational Skills
15. The Development of Ethics
16. Cultural Awareness
17. Prestige
18. Nice People
19. The Absence of an” Official Creed"
20. The Opportunity to Serve